Hello, La Mesa!
La Mesa has a huge number of trolley stops, the most per capita of any city in the county. Of course, the caveat is you have to get to a stop or station to ride — door to door service isn’t exactly a thing… yet. You read that right.
Back in July, city council members voted to apply for a SANDAG Flexible Fleet grant. Under the two-year pilot program, seniors and disabled people living in central parts of La Mesa (the exact details won’t be known until the pilot program is green lit) could sign up to be picked up and taken to a transit stop using three roving vehicles. If the destination was a transit stop, the ride would be free.
If La Mesa receives the grant and launches the pilot program, it could be a major boon to seniors on fixed incomes. Federal data from 2023 found adults 65 and older spent an average of $753 per month on transportation.
But seniors already have one option thanks to the county’s On the Go program. Volunteer rideshare drivers take seniors to the grocery store, doctor’s appointments, social gatherings and more.
For example, Michael Higdon takes Henry Stey to the La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center every Wednesday. The two have become friends after seeing each other weekly, which is important as older adults have high rates of loneliness. Plus, Henry gets to see more friends at the enrichment center. It’s one of the few places he sees people since he stopped driving.
Jewish Family Service, which runs the program, just expanded to Spring Valley and downtown San Diego. It’s great for seniors in those areas, but it means more volunteers are needed. Currently, throughout the county, there are 1,000 active riders but only 60 drivers.
Officials wanted to note that it’s not just younger adults who can volunteer their time and cars. Some of the best fits for the program are fellow seniors who are retired because they can make friends too. To learn more about volunteering, visit jfssd.org/volunteer/on-the-go-driver.
Drew Sitton
La Mesa Courier newsletter host
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