Metro’s Mobility Wallet program allows Los Angeles residents to pay for bus, train, Uber, scooter and more.
July 12, 2024 11:08 AM PDT
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Metro is accepting applications for a program that will give 2,000 Los Angeles residents $1,800 for various transportation expenses.
Applications for the program, the second phase of the Mobility Wallet pilot, are now open, and applicants who meet certain income requirements have until the end of August to apply.
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The first phase of the program, which launched in May 2023, allowed participants to use the prepaid debit cards to pay for Metro buses, trains, bike share, Metro Microvans, Metrolink and Amtrak tickets, as well as private services such as Greyhound, FlixBus, Uber and Lyft.
In the second phase, participants will receive a $900 prepaid debit card in the fall and a $900 refill six months later. Of the 2,000 people selected, half will be from South Los Angeles and the rest from other parts of Los Angeles County, according to Metro.
According to Metro, organizers are trying to identify a representative sample and highlight the differences between riders in areas with good public transit service and those in areas with less public transit service.
To be eligible, participants must be at least 18 years old, live in Los Angeles County, and not have participated in Phase 1 of the program. The program’s annual household income requirements are as follows:
1 person household: $44,100 or less 2 person household: $50,400 or less 3 person household: $56,700 or less 4 person household: $63,000 or less 5 person household: $68,100 or less 6 person household: $73,100 or less
The first phase of the program provided 1,000 South Los Angeles residents with $150 a month starting in May 2023 for 12 months.
The area is a federal transportation enhancement area, meaning it’s in need of additional transit options, and Metro officials say it contains a significant percentage of low-income, transit-dependent residents. The program is aimed at improving access for them.
The majority of trips paid for by participants – 70,800 – were by public transport. The second most popular choice was ride-hailing/taxis/access services with 60,700 trips. Participants also took 2,200 trips by shared scooter or bike and made 169 purchases in bike shops.
Metro is resolving issues that arose in the first phase, including issues with pre-approval hold for ride-hailing services, clarification of eligible merchants, and locking prepaid debit cards.
Metro said the change from monthly to twice-yearly funding is aimed at addressing some of those issues.
Additionally, the second phase will incorporate Apple/Google Pay functionality, text message alerts and email reminders to encourage participants to check their balances and prevent their accounts from getting locked.
The pilot program also aims to help test an open-loop fare collection system, allowing passengers to board buses and trains with their debit or credit cards, similar to the systems used in New York and San Francisco.
Metro partnered with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation for the program. For the first phase, Mobility Wallet received $2 million in funding from a larger $13.8 million state Trade Expansion Grant, plus an additional $2 million from the City of Los Angeles.
For this second phase, Metro secured a $4 million grant from the Southern California Association of Governments.
City News Service contributed to this report.