Whether you drive your own car, or rely on public buses and trains, having a reliable source of transportation is a major part of independent living. It’s especially important for those of us who may find it harder to drive safely because our vision or mobility have changed.

Accessible senior transportation is about more than independence, too. It’s also essential to our overall health and well-being.

For instance: when we can’t get to medical appointments, we lose out on crucial preventive care. And while millions of us successfully rely on public transportation to get to those appointments, many of us simply can’t. If we’re frail, for example, or live in a neighborhood with broken sidewalks, we’re much less likely to use public transit.¹ And many rural areas don’t even have buses or trains at all. We end up putting our physical health on the back burner for lack of other options.

Our mental health also can suffer. When we can’t get around to visit friends and family, or to participate in community activities, we miss out on valuable relationships and connections. And social isolation puts us at risk for depression and cognitive decline. The good news? A study sponsored by rideshare company Lyft showed that access matters. Among 150 older adults who got free rides for three months, 90% reported a better quality of life. And 66% said they saw a boost in social visits.²

Many of us are fortunate to have family caregivers that help with these rides. According to the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC), as many as 80% of them drive us around when we need it.³

But we all don’t have this choice. When we don’t have family or friends to manage the task, we can face additional barriers to finding reliable transportation. These include:⁴

• Fewer routes in rural and suburban areas
• Expensive fares
• Trouble understanding rideshare technology
• Rides that can’t accommodate mobility needs

There are ways to overcome these barriers if you know where to look and how to do it. Keep reading to learn how to support your health and well-being through access to reliable transportation, including free to low-cost options.

Are there resources that can help older adults find transportation?

Your local public transit agency may offer mobility managers or travel counselors to help you find accessible and affordable options near you. They can also teach you how to use available transportation.⁵

You also can check Rides in Sight, a free online database offered through a national nonprofit transportation network called ITNAmerica. Here, you can search for programs by ZIP code, state, and county. You can even narrow your search to free services and rides that are wheelchair-accessible. NCOA's BenefitsCheckUp® has partnered with Rides in Sight, offering access to transportation resources, alongside other benefits programs and public assistance that may be available in your area.

How can older adults get free or low-cost transportation options?

There are a number of senior transportation programs that are designed to make it easier and more affordable to get around. Some options may suit your needs better than others, such as:⁶

• Paratransit: Local public transit agencies offer paratransit rides for people with disabilities who cannot access regular public transportation routes. The pick up and drop off is usually from curb to curb, and a personal care attendant can accompany the rider on the trip. The fare cannot be more than twice the cost of regular transit fare.⁶
• Reduced public transit fares: Many transit agencies that offer bus, train, and light rail options provide lower fares for older adults after they fill out an application to verify their age.⁷ Usually these fares are 50% off the peak rate and only apply during off-peak hours. It's up to the individual agencies to define what "off-peak" means, so make sure to ask.
• Dial-A-Ride: Your city or county may offer a phone number for older adults age 60+ and people with disabilities to call and schedule rides 1–2 days in advance. You may need to register as a user first before you can schedule any rides. If you have a personal care assistant, they might be able to ride along with you for free. Otherwise, the level of help you'll have to get into and out of the vehicle will vary depending on where you live.
• Medicaid Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT): Medicaid can pay for transportation to medical appointments, which may include the use of public transportation, taxis, and rideshare vehicles.
• Volunteer transportation: Local organizations may provide volunteer drivers whom you can tap for rides. These rides may be free or have a small fee. Volunteers may be able to offer extra assistance in getting riders in and out of their homes and a driver’s vehicle. Start by checking with your local Area on Aging (use the Eldercare Locator to find one near you).
• Shared ride services: Rideshare companies such as Lyft and Uber allow you to create an account and schedule rides at your convenience using a mobile app. Fares will vary based on the time of day and distance you travel. Depending on where you live, you might be able to request wheelchair-accessible vehicles,^8,9 or assistance with getting in and out of vehicles and to the front door.^10,11 Health care groups have also partnered with these companies to schedule non-emergency medical transportation to and from medical appointments.^12,13

As the use of autonomous (self-driving) vehicles continues to grow in cities across the U.S., you potentially may have another transportation option. An NCOA and Volkswagen Group of America survey of 2,500 adults age 55 and older, 75% of respondents expect to use self-driving ride hailing technology in the future and 71% said it would help them maintain their independence.

Does Medicare cover rideshare services?

Are you enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (known as Part C) plan? If so, it may include a flex card pre-loaded with money for eligible expenses.¹⁴ Further, if your plan provides expanded transportation benefits, you can use your flex card to pay for trips to the grocery store and health-related destinations like your doctor’s office or pharmacy.

Some rideshare services give you the option to add your flex card as a form of payment.¹⁵ Search for “Medicare Advantage benefits card” or “flex card” on the service app or website to learn whether they offer this option and how to use it.

Sources

1.    Journal of the American Geriatrics. Epidemiology of public transportation use among older adults in the United States. September 22, 2022. Found on the Internet at https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jgs.18055

2.    The Journal of mHealth. Health Impacts of Unlimited Access to Networked Transportation in Older Adults. Found on the Internet at https://thejournalofmhealth.com/health-impacts-of-unlimited-access-to-networked-transportation-in-older-adults

3.    National Aging and Disability Transportation Center. Transportation: The Missing Link in Family Caregiver Support. April 22, 2025. Found on the internet at https://www.nadtc.org/resources-publications/resource/transportation-the-missing-link-in-family-caregiver-support/

4.    RAND Corporation. Transportation Equity for Older Adults. June 2022. Found on the Internet at https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/perspectives/PEA1600/PEA1615-1/RAND_PEA1615-1.pdf

5.    National Aging and Disability Transportation Center. Mobility Management and FTA Section 5310. Found on the Internet at https://www.nadtc.org/wp-content/uploads/3MobilityManagementandFTASection5310-508.pdf

6.   National Aging and Disability Transportation Center. What is ADA complementary paratransit? Found on the internet at https://www.nadtc.org/about/transportation-aging-disability/ada-and-paratransit/

7.    Tara N. Clark et al. Understanding Half Fare/Reduced Fare Requirements. National Aging and Disability Transportation Center. June 6, 2023. Found on the internet at https://www.nadtc.org/news/blog/understanding-half-farereduced-fare-requirements/

8.    Lyft.com. WAV rides. Found on the Internet at https://help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/all/articles/115013081668

9.    Uber.com. Uber WAV. Found on the Internet at https://www.uber.com/us/en/ride/uberwav/

10.    Lyft.com. Lyft assisted rides for riders. Found on the Internet at https://help.lyft.com/hc/et/all/articles/5792507564-Lyft-Assisted-rides-for-riders

11.    Uber.com. Uber Assist. Found on the Internet at https://www.uber.com/au/en/ride/assist/

12.    Uberhealth.com. Uber Health. Found on the Internet at https://www.uberhealth.com/us/en/transportation

13.    Lyft.com. Lyft Healthcare. Found on the Internet at https://www.lyft.com/healthcare

14. Fortune.com. What is a Medicare Flex card? Get the facts about the flexible benefits card—including where to get one. September 27, 2023. Found on the Internet at https://fortune.com/well/article/what-is-medicare-flex-card

15. Uberhealth.com. Use your flex benefits card on Uber. Found on the Internet at https://www.uberhealth.com/us/en/benefit-card/how-to-use