Over the past three years, the San Luis Obispo Council of Government (SLOCOG) has diverted almost $1 million of social service transportation funding from Ride-On Transportation to fund its Senior Go program and other projects. This year, SLOCOG is providing only $215,000 or 4 percent of Ride-On's $5 million budget, which provides 168,000 social service rides a year.
Meanwhile, Ride-On is facing dramatic increases in operation costs of $269,401 for fuel, drivers' wages, maintenance facility rent, and health benefits. Ride-On has requested one-time, emergency funding of $100,000 to help cover these cost increases. SLOCOG has a surplus $125,000 of social service funding from last year, but staff is recommending that the board not support Ride-On with emergency funding on Feb. 5 that will save this nonprofit service, which has provided millions of rides since its creation in 1993.
Ride-On is asking the community to show your support for Ride-On by calling SLOCOG and telling them to provide emergency funding for Ride-On. Please call (805) 781-1385 and tell them to support Ride-On with $100,000 of emergency funding. Ride-On has always been there for our community, now we need your support.
Mark Shaffer
executive director
Ride-On Transportation
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