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Placer Rides program offers mileage reimbursement to help Loomis seniors reach medical appointments and necessities
Summary
Seniors First and Placer County officials outlined Placer Rides, a volunteer-driver mileage-reimbursement program that will reimburse eligible riders up to 200 miles per month at the IRS standard rate; the program will be administered locally by Seniors First and funded through the regional CTSA.
Mark Hall, outreach representative for Seniors First, presented Placer Rides to the Loomis Town Council on Feb. 11, describing a mileage-reimbursement program intended to expand transportation options for people 60 and older, people with disabilities and low-income residents.
The program reimburses volunteer drivers for trips taken on behalf of eligible riders and is intended to complement existing public transit. "It is where you want to go, when you want to go, and with whom you want to go," Hall said, describing the program's flexibility. He told the council the program covers trips beyond typical transit boundaries and includes a "bailout" fund to pay commercial transportation if a volunteer driver is suddenly unavailable for a pre-scheduled medical appointment.
Mike Costa, principal transportation planner with the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency and administrator for the Western Placer Consolidated Transportation Services Agency (CTSA), said Placer Rides is intended to fill gaps where fixed-route transit does not reach. "This is an excellent complementary opportunity for people to have some sort of transportation service that again is funded at the CTSA level," Costa said during public comment.
Seniors First staff described program mechanics: eligible riders are people age 60 or older, people with disabilities that make public transit hard to use, or low-income residents; volunteer drivers are not supplied by Seniors First. Riders and volunteer drivers arrange trips directly, log trips, and Seniors First issues monthly reimbursements at the IRS standard mileage rate (presenter cited "70¢ per mile" as the reimbursement level as reported in the meeting). The program offers up to 200 reimbursable miles per eligible rider per month.
Councilmembers and members of the public asked how users schedule rides and how reimbursement works. Hall said scheduling is a direct arrangement between rider and volunteer driver; the rider keeps the reimbursement check and may choose whether to share it with the driver. He explained that when volunteers are unable to drive, Seniors First will contract a commercial provider (examples cited included TLC or local transit contractors) so an appointment is not missed.
Residents raised concerns about isolated seniors who may not have friends or family to drive them; Hall said he keeps an informal list of volunteers and may provide contact information on a discretionary, non-endorsed basis to help match drivers and riders. During public comment, Miguel Gizovich, attending remotely, said isolated seniors are a key concern and urged outreach to find volunteer drivers.
Councilmembers and staff said they would help publicize the program. Senior First left brochures for distribution at town hall and the Loomis library. Costa encouraged the town to view the program as a complement to—rather than replacement for—existing Placer County transit services.
The program is operating now; Seniors First is handling enrollment and reimbursement. Hall encouraged residents to call Seniors First for more information and to request printed brochures placed in town facilities.
Ending: The presentation left councilmembers and the public with next steps focused on outreach: Seniors First will provide materials for insertion on the town website and at town facilities, and councilmembers encouraged the Chamber and community organizations to spread information about the program.
