Julia Anderson
Are you breaking your budget to get from point A to B? If so, you’re not alone, especially if you’re living on a limited income. According to the Leadership Conference Education Fund, low-income households spend approximately 42 percent of what they earn on transportation costs. That’s almost half of your money on getting around town, which leaves little leftover for housing, food, utilities, and other expenses.
How can you cut your transportation costs to leave more room in your budget for other bills? Try these forms of transportation assistance:
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See If Lyft Offers Low-Income Discounts In Your Area
Many people have turned to companies like Uber and Lyft to help them get around town. While usually cheaper than taxis, Lyft can still be too expensive for those with limited funds. To combat this, the company came up with LyftUp programs that offer transportation assistance in low-income areas.
Lyft’s Grocery Access Program was launched to help underserved communities. With it, Lyft offers discounted rides to grocery stores and farmers’ markets to low-income families so they can buy the food they need without breaking the bank on transportation. Lyft also started the Jobs Access Program to give people free rides to job interviews or work via car, bike, or scooter.
The availability of these programs depends on your city, so check this link to see if you have any luck.
Public Transportation Discounts
Taking public transportation can be a lot cheaper than having to gas up and maintain your own car. Still, you may find this form of transportation to be too expensive for your budget.
If that’s the case, contact your local social services department or public transit system and ask about discounts for low-income riders. Many buses, trains, and the like offer discounts, and you may even be able to ride for free.
Bike Share Programs
Bike and scooter share programs are growing in popularity, as they offer a low-cost way to get to work, run errands, and more. While they are a low-cost alternative to owning a car, you may find low-income discounts depending on your location and the program. Look online for bike share or scooter share programs in your area, then contact them and ask about any discounts.
Rides To And From Doctor’s Appointments
Low-income people use Medicaid for free healthcare. And while it may cover the cost of your doctor’s visits, you could use Medicaid to get free rides as well.
If you receive Medicaid, contact your local office or caseworker to ask about free transportation to and from medical providers. If this service is included in your Medicaid plan, know that you’ll need to schedule the transportation in advance. You may need to share the ride with other patients, and it could be via public transportation, car, van, or taxi, depending on where you live.
Free Transportation From TANF
Recipients of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program may get free transportation as an added perk. This program offers cash benefits to low-income families so they can transition out of poverty, so if you’re low on funds, you may want to look into it as a form of emergency assistance.
Contact your state agency in charge of the program to see if you can get free transportation via TANF.
Local Organizations
Community centers, meal programs, senior centers, and other local organizations sometimes offer free transportation to those in need, thanks to their staff of volunteers. To see if this is an option in your area, dial 211 on your phone and speak to the local operator.
