SilverRide Eases Transportation Woes for Elderly San Franciscans
Getting around town is a serious headache for many older adults. Travel to medical appointments, grocery stores, senior centers, friends' homes and other venues is particularly challenging for those who don't drive, and whose health conditions limit their walking and use of public transit.

Now there's a company that promises to ease the transportation barriers faced by elderly San Franciscans.

SilverRide Senior Transportation, a startup based in San Francisco's North of Panhandle (NOPA) district, has been providing older adults with one way, round-trip and multi-stop rides - to doctor's offices, downtown department stores, beauty parlors and recreational excursions - since its January 2007 launch.

Trips are provided in SilverRide's growing fleet of PT Cruisers, which are spotlessly clean and outfitted with water bottles, CD collections and other creature comforts. The cars are chauffeured by friendly "driver escorts," who assist clients in getting from the inside of their homes to the inside of the waiting vehicle, and then from the vehicle to the entry of their destination. (No one is carried, however; to qualify for this service, clients must be able to walk at least 20 feet with an escort's help.)

SilverRide driver escort and vehicle

Driver escorts are also available, for an additional fee, to accompany clients during appointments and activities. SilverRide drivers escort some clients, for example, on walks through Golden Gate Park. SilverRide also offers courier service. Its driver escorts will pick up prescriptions, drop off medical devices and do other errands for clients while they stay at home, or while they are occupied with activities, such as medical appointments, to which driver escorts have driven them. "We provide our clients with a kind of independence and flexibility that no other service offers," says Susan Steiner Saal, one of SilverRide's two founders. "And because we make it easier for seniors to travel and engage with their community, we're also providing peace of mind for their adult children and other caregivers."

Many of SilverRide's clients live in the Outer Sunset, Lake Merced and other areas where transit service is poor and taxis are often unavailable. Older adults in these neighborhoods often feel they must call a taxi hours before going to a downtown medical appointment, because cabs are often unreliable. "SilverRide gives these people a lot more control over their time," explains Saal. "Because we are on-time and reliable, they don't have to allot three hours just to get downtown from the Sunset."

SilverRide's service is by appointment, with 24-hour advance notice requested. Reservations are made by calling or emailing the SilverRide office. The company's "travel concierges" help clients, their families and caregivers book services as conveniently as possible, after first asking some questions about the client's needs, health and type of service requested. Travel concierges also provide appointment reminders and check-in calls.

Transportation is provided on an individual basis. However, clients are welcome to travel with one caregiver, spouse, family member or friend free of charge, providing that both passengers start and end at the same address.

After a client makes a reservation and becomes a SilverRide member, the company visits the client's home to make an assessment. This allows the company to gauge how much time and assistance is required to serve the client, and this helps determine the fee SilverRide charges.

SilverRide offers an on-time guarantee that requires its driver escorts to arrive within 15 minutes of the scheduled departure time or the ride is half-price.

SilverRide's prices are based on trip time and distance, plus the amount of assistance required to escort clients to and from destinations and vehicles. The charge is approximately $1 per minute, though there is some room for flexibility. Ride prices are quoted in advance, and fees are private pay - once completed, trips are automatically billed to a credit card on file or deducted from a pre-paid balance.

To be sure, not everyone can afford SilverRide's services. However, there are some ways clients can reduce costs. For example, the company offers a ride share program that allows a third passenger to travel with his or her companions for an extra $5 or $10. "If two clients pool their resources and share this expense, it can end up being more affordable than a cab ride," says Saal. SilverRide also offers multi-trip discount packages.

Unlike some other for-hire transportation companies, SilverRide does not have "taxi meters" in its vehicles, and driver escorts do not expect or accept tips. "In our focus groups, we found that may older adults feel anxious when they hear the meter ticking away," says Jeff Maltz, SilverRide's CEO and co-founder.

SilverRide's service area is currently focused on San Francisco - though it does take some clients to Daly City, Oakland and other nearby communities for longer appointments. The company expects to expand beyond San Francisco as its business develops. SilverRide also plans to start offering weekend and evening service in the future - service is currently limited to weekdays.

Before launching SilverRide, Maltz and Saal spent a year soliciting advice from home care agencies, care managers, long-term care provider, government agencies and other service providers, as well as from focus groups comprised of older adults and their families. "These groups gave us great feedback and helped us design the service based on their experience and deep knowledge of what seniors need," says Maltz.

SilverRide's choice of PT Cruisers is another result of its market research. Maltz and Saal found these vehicles are relatively easy for older people to enter and exit, while the seats offer solid lumbar support and the interior has plenty of handholds.

Though SilverRide's services are aimed at older adults, anyone is welcome to use its services. The company has provided rides to several oncology patients who require regular trips to medical appointments.

More information about SilverRide is available at http://www.silverride.com. To make a reservation, email to reservations@silverride.com or call (415) 861-RIDE (7433).

(This article originally appeared in the Winter 2006/2007 issue of Bay Area Summit)

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