Photo by SFMTA Photography Department
SFMTA’s SF Paratransit service provides van and taxi services to eligible seniors and persons with disabilities. This month, 28 new paratransit vehicles are in service, replacing older vehicles that reached the end of their useful lives. The Transportation Authority supported this upgrade with over $1.1 million in funding from our Prop L transportation sales tax program.
SFMTA secured two types of vans to serve the SF Paratransit community. The larger van can seat 14 passengers with a maximum of four wheelchair positions, and the smaller van can seat six with a maximum of two wheelchair positions. SF Paratransit provides about 550,000 passenger trips with approximately 11,000 registered clients.
Since 1990, the Transportation Authority has supported the SF Paratransit program every year with funding from the half-cent sales tax for transportation and state transit assistance county block grant funds.
In 2024, we provided $13.8 million to SFMTA for paratransit programs and services. The funding covers over one-third of the operating costs for accessible taxis, pre-scheduled van trips, inter-county trips, and group van trips to senior centers. The Prop L funds will also support SFMTA’s Ramp Taxi Incentive Program, which provides financial incentives to drivers and companies to increase the supply of wheelchair-accessible ramp taxis available through the paratransit program. Additionally, funding supports SFMTA’s Essential Trip Card Program which is a discount program to help seniors and people with disabilities make essential trips in taxis. Eligible participants pay 20% of the cost of a regular taxi ride fare for essential trips. The program uses taxis to take people on essential trips like going to the grocery store, pharmacy, or other necessary medical trips.