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CPUC and TNCs report on Access for All wheelchair‑accessible trips and funding
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Summary
CPUC staff and TNC representatives described the state's Access for All program, reporting more than 300,000 on‑demand wheelchair accessible trips since 2019 and a roughly $17 million statewide access fund to expand services to underserved counties.
The committee reviewed California’s Access for All program, which funds on‑demand wheelchair‑accessible rides through a per‑ride fee collected on TNC trips and is implemented by the CPUC.
CPUC staff told the committee that since Access for All’s implementation in 2019 more than 300,000 on‑demand wheelchair accessible trips have been provided statewide and roughly 63,000 of those trips were provided through partnerships with non‑TNC local access providers. The CPUC has contracted a statewide access fund administrator and staff estimated the pot of remaining implementation funds at about $17,000,000 to support outreach and programs in counties that have seen less service to date.
Uber and Lyft described their work to expand wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) services. Uber told the committee it has invested over $20,000,000 in California over the last two years to expand WAV availability and has met Access for All offset eligibility criteria in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Mateo for six consecutive quarters. Lyft described its "wheelchair mode" service in Los Angeles and San Francisco, operating from 7 a.m. to midnight and completing on average 5,000–7,000 trips quarterly in Los Angeles County and 800–1,000 trips quarterly in San Francisco County.
Both companies said demand and supply challenges remain. Uber said increased demand and the higher cost of WAV supply have made meeting certain performance metrics more difficult in 2025, and the companies have pursued partnerships with taxi fleets and local providers to expand availability. CPUC staff and industry witnesses said the Access for All program represents an important service expansion but that further investments — public and private — and local partnerships will be needed to reach more rural areas and improve reliability.
Committee members noted AB 1532 (the committee is advancing a bill, cited in testimony as AB 15 32) that would extend the Access for All program and asked CPUC and industry staff to track rural delivery and the effectiveness of the statewide fund administrator.
