Growth of ride sharing is leaving some behind
Lack of internet access is a new hurdle to travel
Ruby Jacobs, a senior who lives alone in northwest Phoenix, doesn’t own a car and has difficulty walking and taking the bus.
For years, she has relied on taxis to visit the grocery store and attend doctor’s appointments around the corner from her condo.
But as ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft have taken a bite out of the traditional taxi industry, Jacobs has found it harder to get a ride.
“I went to the grocery store the other night and had to wait an hour and a half for a cab. I used to be able to go out and get a cab in a few minutes,” Jacobs, 87, said. “I don’t have a smart phone (or internet), so I can’t call the others (Uber or Lyft). It doesn’t seem fair.”
Jacobs is not the only senior struggling to adapt to a transportation landscape changed by smartphone-dependent ride-sharing.
More than 30,000 people over age 65 in Maricopa County don’t own a car,
according to the Maricopa County Association of Governments. Of those, roughly 1,500 lack a landline or cellphone.
Although it is small, the population highlights the needs of some Arizonans left behind by technology.
Traditional taxis have lost significant business since Lyft and Uber began employing everyday drivers in their own cars to pick up passengers who schedule rides on smartphone apps.
Between 2013 and 2016, the total number of L.A. taxi trips dropped by nearly 30 percent after the companies debuted. San Francisco, Boston, Washington and New York have reported declines as well.
Arizona cab data are limited, but the number of taxi trips from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport fell at least 18 percent after UberX and Lyft began picking up passengers.
Taxi companies are trying to keep up. Discount Cab recently rebranded as Total Ride, a ride-share service that mimics Uber and Lyft. The company touts its smartphone app and website, as well as lowered rates and advance booking.
“We have found that customers continuously opt for the ride-share model relative to a traditional taxi model,” Total Ride Marketing Director Matt Classen said this year.
Passengers can 602-200-2000. recently waited 14 minutes through to an operator.
Yellow Cab claims its rates are cheaper than Uber and Lyft, and touts scheduling via its smartphone app or website. A Yellow Cab operator answered the booking phone number, 480-888-8888, within one minute.
Officials for Total Ride and Yellow Cab did not return messages seeking information about average pickup times and why Jacobs may have experienced long waits.
Technology startups are beginning to focus on transportation options that don’t require a smartphone and may better serve elderly people.
GoGoGrandparent allows seniors to call 855-464-6872 from a landline to schedule a ride-sharing car for a fee. The total cost is 27 cents per minute from the start of the operator arranging the ride through monitoring the pick-up and drop-off, plus the fee from the transportation company that provides the ride, such as Lyft. still book by calling to get
The service is available 24 hours a day and sends updates by text message to family members.
Lyft and Uber are also partnering with Phoenix-area agencies to schedule rides for seniors who don’t have smartphones. The program has gone so well that El Mirage is considering using Lyft’s concierge program in place of Dial-a-Ride.
In addition, the two companies have begun offering rides through GrandPad, a senior-friendly computer tablet; GreatCall, a senior-focused cellphone company whose main product is the Jitterbug flip phone; and senior living centers such as Brookdale, which has locations throughout the Phoenix area.
Seniors can also take advantage of government transportation programs like Dial-a-Ride and Senior Cab, as well as non-profits such as Duet, Northwest Valley Connect and Benevilla, which provide free or less costly rides, experts say.
Anyone can call, including family members, to find out more. Some programs are open to all, while others have income or disability requirements. Operators can walk callers through the program requirements.
“As our population ages, the demand for our services definitely increases,” Duet Communications Director Nichole Barnes said.
Duet coordinates volunteers to provide free rides to seniors in Fountain Hills, Glendale, Paradise Valley, Peoria, Phoenix and Scottsdale south of Bell Road.
In the West Valley, a non-profit that opened in 2014 to fill a void in elderly transportation options has seen exponential growth, Northwest Valley Connect Executive Director Kathy Chandler said.
Northwest Valley Connect’s calls for information are expected to increase from 300 the first year it opened to 14,000 this year, Chandler said. Actual rides provided by volunteers grew from about 500 the first year to about 8,500 last year.
The group serves Avondale, El Mirage, Goodyear, Peoria, Sun City, Sun City West, Surprise, Tolleson, Tonopah, Youngtown and Wittman.
Benevilla, a similar transportation provider, serves the southwest Valley including Avondale, Buckeye, Goodyear, Litchfield Park and Tolleson.
Both Northwest Valley Connect and Duet said they are looking for more volunteers to keep up with demand.
To meet the need, the charities help seniors connect with other transit services run by government, community groups and businesses.
A comprehensive chart of every transportation option for seniors in the Valley is available on Northwest Valley Connect’s website, northwestvalleyconnect.org.
Helping seniors find transportation is critical to maintaining their independence, financial well-being and health, Chandler said.
As many as 3.6 million Americans miss appointments each year due to a lack of transportation, research shows.
Seniors fail to show up for medical appointments as much as 15 percent of the time and may become isolated if they can’t drive from social activities such as religious services or community centers that are good for their health, according to scientific studies.
“In a lot of cases, it’s the gap between total independence and going to an assisted-living facility or living with family,” Chandler said.