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Seniors First outlines mileage-reimbursement Plaza Rides program for older Lincoln residents
Summary
At a city council meeting, Mark Hall of Seniors First described Plaza Rides, a mileage-reimbursement program that pays volunteer drivers up to 200 miles per month at 70¢ per mile and includes contingency funding through 2027 for professional trips when volunteers are unavailable.
Mark Hall, a representative of the nonprofit Seniors First, told the Lincoln City Council about Plaza Rides, a mileage-reimbursement program aimed at county residents age 60 and older or those with disabilities who cannot use existing public transit.
The program reimburses volunteer drivers at 70¢ per mile for up to 200 miles per month, Hall said, and includes a “bailout” fund to pay for professional transportation if a volunteer driver becomes unavailable. “It's a mileage reimbursement program. We do not provide the driver,” Hall said. “We offer 200 miles a month reimbursed at 70¢ per mile.”
Seniors First markets the program to older adults, people with disabilities and low-income residents who face barriers to transit access. Hall said the program has been operating for three years and that funding is committed through 2027. He described eligible trips as medical appointments, grocery shopping, visits to the bank and other essential errands, and said enrolled participants submit a trip log to receive reimbursement.
Hall told the council that program usage recently increased: staff paid roughly 50 reimbursements per month through October of last year and reached 107 reimbursements last month. Asked by Mayor Andrea how quickly a volunteer driver applicant could be approved, Hall said enrollment is effectively immediate once the driver signs a liability waiver and that Seniors First would invite applicants to document qualifying trips dating back to April 1 for reimbursement.
Council members praised the concept as a complement to county and city ride services and asked staff and the presenter to share enrollment materials with constituents. Hall left pamphlets with city staff for public distribution.
The program relies on volunteer drivers and is intended to fill gaps where fixed-route and demand-response transit are unavailable or unusable for the intended riders. Hall said the program also offers two paid “bailout” trips per month for participants whose volunteer drivers are unexpectedly unavailable, so they do not miss medical appointments.
