Seniors Ride Free bus pass program in Redding is discontinued after alleged disagreement with funder
The program offered by the Redding Area Bus Authority was discontinued on July 31. It was funded by a regional Agency on Aging that works to support seniors in parts of the North State.
A Redding program that gave seniors a free bus pass has been discontinued due to an alleged disagreement with the program’s funder.
The Seniors Ride Free pass program was offered by the Redding Area Bus Authority (RABA). It was discontinued on July 31 for new applicants because of a funding decision by the Planning and Service Area 2 Area Agency on Aging (PSA 2 AAA), according to a press release from RABA.
The PSA 2 AAA is a Joint Powers Agency (JPA) that provides aging and adult services in several counties in the North State, including Shasta. The agency is funded by the Older Americans Act and administered by the California Department of Aging.
RABA Transit General Manager John Andoh told Shasta Scout over email that PSA 2 AAA withdrew RABA’s funding because of a dispute over data reporting. According to Andoh, PSA 2 AAA Executive Director Teri Gabriel did not follow through on her agreement to submit data for RABA via the data analysis tool WellSky and was also unable to negotiate a way for agencies like RABA to submit the data themselves.
“Furthermore, they have rejected the data presented due to their inability to understand the data and respond to our many emails and calls regarding questions on their concerns,” Andoh said. “[It’s] unfortunate that PSA 2 has elected to not work with RABA on the reporting in the interest of our seniors as this is an easy matter that could have been resolved.”
He said the grant for the program was awarded in June 2024, but because of issues negotiating a contract with PSA 2, the contract wasn’t signed until January this year, and the program didn’t start until February.
Gabriel did not respond to specific questions about Andoh’s claims, stating over email only that the grant from PSA 2 AAA was for one year and expired on June 30.
The RABA press release explains that senior passes issued prior to July 31 will still be accepted, and that seniors that are low income can apply for the Lifeline Pass Program online. Discount fare for seniors ages 65 and older will still apply.
Madison Holcomb is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She’s reporting for Shasta Scout as a 2025 summer intern with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News.
Do you have a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org.
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Sad. Redding is becoming a harsh and expensive place for seniors. Ever-increasing utility bills with draconian penalties. Fewer doctors. Increasing insurance costs. Now this. No wonder Shasta County has one of the highest senior suicide rates.
I don’t understand why all RABA rides aren’t free. The TRAX buses in Tehama County have been free for several years now. They operate under the same types of transportation contracts as the Paratransit Services company that runs TRAX.
The answer is funding. There isn’t money to make RABA free for all at this time.