Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Seniors topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Seniors First outlines volunteer‑driver mileage program to expand rides for older residents
Summary
Seniors First presented a county-funded mileage-reimbursement pilot that reimburses volunteer drivers 70¢ per mile up to 200 miles per enrolled rider per month; staff asked for drivers and distribution of applications through city offices.
Seniors First, a nonprofit operator of local Meals on Wheels programs, presented an alternative-transportation reimbursement program to Colfax City Council on Jan. 22 aimed at residents who cannot use fixed-route public transit.
The program, administered by Seniors First at the county’s request, reimburses volunteer drivers 70¢ per mile (the IRS 2025 standard) and caps reimbursement at 200 miles per enrolled rider per month. The program is available to three primary groups: people age 60 and over, people with disabilities who cannot use fixed-route services, and low-income residents who cannot afford rideshare services.
Mark Hall, program lead at Seniors First, described the program as a mileage-reimbursement model rather than a volunteer‑driver service: riders must identify a volunteer driver (family, friend, neighbor) and Seniors First reimburses that driver through the rider’s paperwork; Seniors First does not provide drivers or vet them beyond collecting trip logs.
Hall said the program does not have the typical geographic boundaries of local paid services like on‑demand transit: “If someone needed to go to see a specialist … 72¢ a mile, 200 miles a month, that trip could be paid out to the driver,” he said. The program reimburses the rider (the client), who then pays the volunteer driver. Trips are logged and verified with mapping checks before reimbursement.
Funding and scope: Hall said the county is funding the program through 2027 and that the program reimbursed 67 users in the most recent month. Seniors First said it is recruiting volunteer drivers and asked local partners to distribute application packets for both riders and drivers. Council members asked whether airport trips and longer out‑of‑county trips would qualify; Hall said eligible trips include medical and other essential needs and that exceptions can be requested.
Next steps: Seniors First will provide printed application packets for drivers and riders to the city clerk’s office and requested assistance distributing materials to reach potential riders and volunteer drivers in Colfax. Hall said the program is likely to be extended beyond 2027 if demand continues.
Ending: The presentation was informational; no council action was taken. City staff and the nonprofit will coordinate to distribute application materials and to promote volunteer recruitment.
