March 30, 2026
Molly McVety/PhillyVoice
Seniors are now eligible for free Uber rides in West and Northeast Philadelphia.
Seniors in West and Northeast Philadelphia can now benefit from free Uber rides.
The rideshare company announced Monday that it is partnering with Northeast Philly-based nonprofit KleinLife to replicate a pilot program it began with West Philadelphia’s ACHIEVEability during the height of SEPTA’s service cuts in the fall.
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With the Senior Ride Program, anyone 60 and older can use the Uber mobile app or call KleinLife or ACHIEVEability to schedule free transportation. Rides are offered for trips to doctor’s appointments, community centers, grocery stores and pharmacies.
Inna Gulko, director of senior services with KleinLife, said the community resource organization was given $10,000 for trips near its site in Bustleton. Rides can be coordinated by calling its transportation coordinator at 215-698-7300 ext. 129.
“Lack of reliable transportation is a significant barrier to independence for many of our members,” Andre Krug, president and CEO of KleinLife, said in a statement. “This partnership with Uber allows us to bridge that gap, ensuring that Northeast Philadelphia seniors have a safe and dependable way to reach their doctors, visit our center and maintain their quality of life.”
In the fall, Uber partnered with ACHIEVEability and the Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation to fill in transit gaps for seniors while SEPTA service was in a state of flux, providing nearly 1,000 rides to over 300 customers.
The partnership with ACHIEVEability will continue for a limited time starting Monday. Representatives with the organization and Uber did not respond to a request for comment about the amount of money remaining in the West Philadelphia program, but Uber spokesperson Jazmin Kay said the company has allocated over $50,000 to the program since last fall.
The expansion of the initiative has been in the works since early this year, Kay said.
“After seeing the success of this program in other parts of the city, I knew we needed to bring these resources to our neighborhoods,” state Rep. Sean Dougherty, who represents Northeast Philly, said in a statement.
The announcement comes just over a week after Mayor Cherelle Parker proposed a $1 tax on all rideshare services around the city to close the School District of Philadelphia’s $300 million budget deficit. Uber and Lyft have come out against the plan.
Kay said via email last week that the tax "will be passed on directly to riders who will pay more on each ride and will directly hurt hardworking drivers who will see their incomes cut as a result of reduced demand for rides."
