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DuPage County panel moves to curb suspected fraud in ride-share pilot, agrees to pause online sign-ups
Summary
The Transportation Committee agreed to pause online registrations, move to in-person enrollment verification and reduce subsidies after staff reported suspected fraudulent enrollments; members set a mid-October reassessment and signaled support for a $15 subsidy and a 40-trip monthly cap.
The DuPage County Transportation Committee on Thursday heard an update on a pilot ride-share and demand-responsive program and agreed to immediate changes after staff reported suspected fraudulent enrollments and rising administrative costs.
Presenter (S3), who leads implementation work on the county’s demand-responsive study, told the committee that staff discovered multiple registrations from the same addresses and what they characterized as "bot" activity. Staff recommended pausing online enrollment, switching to semiannual in-person enrollment checks to verify residency (leases or other documentation), and lowering benefits. "We're recommending that we take the rides down to 30 rides per month, and reduce the subsidy to $15 a month going forward," Presenter (S3) said in explaining an initial staff proposal; the committee discussed a compromise of 40 rides per month to better cover two one-way trips five days a week.
Committee members voiced two linked concerns: preventing fraud and preserving service for people who rely on rides for work, medical appointments and day care. One member (S6) warned that the program "has been wildly successful" for some users but said the county cannot sustain unchecked cost growth. Chair (S1) proposed a moratorium on new online sign-ups, implementation of in-person verification and the $15 subsidy with a proposed 40-trip monthly cap; members agreed to implement changes immediately and to reassess at the committee’s second October meeting after six weeks of regional changes and new data collection.
The committee asked staff to provide a steering-committee roster and additional origin/destination data to help distinguish medical and work trips from discretionary travel. Staff also said they have engaged with PACE and the RTA about potential fixed-route alternatives and technical solutions such as RTA rider IDs. The committee emphasized that these are pilot adjustments: no final policy changes beyond the enrollment moratorium and interim subsidy/trip-cap plan were adopted, and members instructed staff to return with data in mid-October for further direction.
