More than a year after the Dixon City Council approved a Golden Pass Program to provide free Readi-Ride service to residents 80 and older, the city is considering making it a permanent.
The council will vote at its Tuesday meeting on whether to continue the Golden Pass.
According to a staff report by Public Works Director Louren Kotow, the program was inspired by similar programs for transit services in nearby cities, such as Vacaville’s City Coach, Fairfield and Suisun Transit (FAST), and Benicia and Vallejo’s Solano County Transit, also known as Soltrans.
Kotow wrote that Dixon residents who fit the age guidelines are permitted to ride the SolanoExpress commuter routes operated by FAST and Soltrans, as long as they show photo identification confirming their age. However, she added that Readi-Ride was different because it provided on-demand services rather than route-based services.
“As a result, Readi-Ride incurs direct costs by implementing a Golden Pass Program (e.g., fuel to pick up and transport each rider, added mileage and maintenance cost to the vehicles, etc.), whereas the other operators’ costs remain the same because they are operating the route regardless of whether a Golden Pass Program participant is riding the bus,” she wrote.
Kotow wrote that Readi-Ride charges residents ages 62 and older $2.25 per trip or $4.50 for a day pass for trips within the city limits. When the program was implemented, she wrote that staff knew of fewer than 20 residents who fit the age guidelines and were using the service. Over the past year, 31 residents above the age of 80 used the program.
“Despite the increase, staff believes that the cost of the Golden Pass Program is outweighed by the benefit of providing free transit service to the City’s eldest residents, who may have limited incomes and ability to drive,” Kotow wrote.
Between Sept. 1, 2020 and Aug. 9, the Golden Pass Program was used 959 times, resulting in an overall fare loss of $1,827.50. A…