San Diego's Hidden Ride: San Diegans Over 40 Largely Unaware of Special Transportation Services

In San Diego, most residents rely on driving their own cars to get around and aren’t very aware of accessible transportation options.

A recent AARP survey of more than 2,000 San Diegans age 40 and older shows 93% of respondents drive themselves, and 82% would be stressed if they could no longer use their current mode of transportation for shopping, medical appointments or socializing. If unable to use their current transportation mode, 44% say they would turn to others for rides, while 26% would hail a rideshare service such as Lyft or Uber.  Just 13% would use a special transportation service and 6% would take public transportation.

Awareness gap: Human Services Transportation

Human Services Transportation (HST) refers to a variety of transportation services designed to help people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals with low incomes access essential human services and community activities. San Diego’s HST network includes Dial-A-Ride services, bus tokens, transit passes, taxi vouchers and other options. Yet 43% of those surveyed were unaware of these accessible services — and awareness was even lower for those who had disabling conditions or felt isolated.

Once HST was explained to the respondents, the survey revealed 72% were open to using the services if or when they could no longer use their primary mode of transportation. Still, 38% were not confident that the HST system would work for them. Among the top concerns: reliability, scheduling and cost.

HST feedback: Room for improvement

Only about 1 in 10 older San Diego residents currently use HST. Those that do most often tap into the services for medical appointments or social engagements a few times a year. Older residents are currently much more likely to use Lyft, Uber or a taxi that is covered by a subsidy or voucher program than use a senior shuttle service or non-emergency medical transport. Less than half (47%) of HST riders are satisfied with the current services. The most common complaints are related to limited service, long waits, arrival delays or cancellations.

If a new transportation system were built to be centralized, flexible and responsive with on-demand rides for everyone, 83% of respondents who currently are not using HST say they would try it. Among those who currently use HST, 66% were inclined to say they would use a new, centralized transportation system.

An opportunity to educate, but improvements must be made fast

The AARP research highlights a need to educate residents of San Diego —  particularly older adults, caregivers and underserved groups —  about what accessible transportation services are available to them. A comprehensive marketing and public relations campaign is essential to provide clear information on how to find and use HST services, including details on costs and schedules.

HST providers and San Diego leaders should at the same time pay close attention to HST’s current shortcomings and address them promptly. Should residents of San Diego learn about HST and express interest in riding it, if the service continues to have shortcomings, riders may not return. As reflected in the survey, residents are looking for dependability, scheduling flexibility and expanded coverage areas. The results indicate support for a more streamlined transportation system with options that are easy to navigate and responsive to the needs of older adults.

Methodology

The findings come from an online survey of 2,141 San Diego residents ages 40–99 conducted in May 2025. The data were weighted to reflect the San Diego voter file of adults ages 40 and older.

For more information, please contact Joanne Binette at jbinette@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.