Santa Monica's on-demand transportation service for seniors and people with disabilities is expanding its operating hours starting in January, including the restoration of Sunday service that was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mobility On-Demand Every Day program, known as MODE, will extend weekday service from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., adding 1.5 hours to the current schedule that ends at 4:30 p.m., according to a Dec. 19 report to the City Council from Transportation Director Anuj Gupta.
Saturday hours will expand from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. to 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday service will be restored with 8 a.m.-6 p.m. hours. The program has operated without Sunday service since the pandemic.
The expansion responds to rider needs for access to evening medical appointments, weekend worship services, family visits and community activities that fall outside current service hours, according to the report.
MODE currently serves 2,265 active members and provided 41,727 rides in fiscal year 2024-25. In October, the program exceeded 5,000 rides in a single month for the first time since the pandemic.
The city contracts with Lyft Inc. to operate the service, which launched in 2018 replacing the previous Dial-A-Ride program. MODE serves eligible residents age 65 and older or age 18 and older with disabilities, providing rides within city limits and to select medical facilities and shopping destinations outside Santa Monica.
Regular fares are $1.50 per ride, with a reduced rate of 75 cents for low-income riders. The program caps usage at 30 trips per rider per month.
To manage costs for weekend expansion, MODE will implement a hybrid call center model on Saturdays and Sundays combining artificial intelligence support for routine requests with live agents for complex issues. A pilot program launched in November. Weekday call center operations will continue using only live agents.
The Department of Transportation conducted outreach in October at locations including Santa Monica Elderwell, Ken Edwards Center and multiple medical facilities. Applications increased from 30 in August and 25 in September to 61 in October following the outreach.
The expanded service will be funded through Proposition A funds and rider fares. City Council previously approved a three-phase fare increase in 2019, though only the first phase was implemented. Staff could implement additional fare increases as soon as July or January 2027 if needed for program sustainability, according to the report.