Date: May 5, 2025
Author(s): Sang-O Kim, Madeline Brozen, Madeline Wander, tamika l. butler, Evelyn Blumenberg
Abstract
Transportation affordability is a major concern for low-income people and households across the United States. Despite this, there is no federal mandate to financially support the mobility needs of low-income people — besides fare discounts for seniors and individuals with disabilities.
This brief compares L.A.’s two primary mobility assistance programs: the Mobility Wallet pilot and Metro’s Low-Income Fare is Easy (LIFE), launched in 2019, which provides 20 free transit rides per month. The findings draw from 31 in-depth interviews with participants conducted at the conclusion of the wallet’s first phase.
About the Project
Mobility wallets are a relatively new approach to addressing financial barriers to travel among transport-disadvantaged communities. Individuals are provided with funds to pay for a range of mobility options, including transit and shared modes, at their discretion. Los Angeles’s Universal Basic Mobility Pilot will include at least 5,000 participants from the social justice community of South LA and monthly stipends that range from $24 to $150 loaded onto the local transit TAP card. The transit agency (LA Metro) has recruited local electric carshare, ride-hail, bikeshare, and scootershare programs to accept the TAP card as payment.