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San Gabriel council approves RideSG changes: more hours, narrower radius for some trips and lower eligibility age
Summary
The City Council approved staff proposals to increase RideSG vehicle hours, reduce RightSG Plus eligibility age from 62 to 60, and narrow the out‑of‑city service radius for select trips to 3 miles, with a budget adjustment to cover initial costs.
The San Gabriel City Council voted unanimously to adopt staff recommendations to adjust the RideSG microtransit service (RightSG) intended to reduce failed searches and improve availability for riders.
Community Services Director Rebecca Perez told the council that RideSG had grown by about 1,700 riders between 2022 and 2024 and improved on‑time performance from 85% to 97%. Staff flagged an elevated "failed search" rate of roughly 32% (June–August) and cited low shared‑ride utilization (35%) and an average 1.6 passengers per vehicle hour as evidence the service was strained.
To address those issues, staff recommended three primary changes: reduce RightSG Plus eligibility from age 62 to 60; limit out‑of‑city service for medical appointments and selected shopping stops to a 3‑mile radius (down from 5 miles); and increase monthly vehicle service hours from 625 to 905. Staff estimated the hourly increase would raise contract costs by about $22,000 per month and presented a fiscal adjustment request of $110,000 to cover additional service through April 2025. Funding for the change was proposed to come from Proposition A transit funds.
Rebecca Perez said the changes aim to place more vehicle capacity inside city boundaries and reduce long outside trips that limit availability for in‑city riders. "We would be able to promote more readily with the local hotels," she said, adding that staff would monitor ridership and failed‑search metrics before the current Transdev agreement expires in April 2025.
Council Member Chen described a personal missed pickup as background for his concerns about reliability: "It never came," he said of a missed 4:50 a.m. pickup window. Staff acknowledged occasional glitches and supported the proposed operational changes.
Vice Mayor Menchaca moved to approve staff recommendations; Council Member Harrington seconded. The motion passed 5‑0. Staff will update the RightSG app messaging in English, Spanish and Chinese, notify current RightSG Plus members of the changes and monitor the effects before any further contract decisions.
The action includes a budget amendment (resolution number referenced in staff documents as 24 66) to cover the proposed service‑hour increase through April 2025; staff said Prop A funds would be used and that the increase should not immediately reduce other Prop A‑funded services.
