Thanks to LA Metro’s Mobility Wallet pilot program, basic mobility is now a reality for thousands of Los Angeles residents. 

Launched in May 2023 as part of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s Universal Basic Mobility initiatives, Mobility Wallet provides a stipend to low-income residents for a range of transport needs, including Uber trips. 

As the largest mobility wallet initiative in the United States, the program aims to promote access to transport, encourage equity, and improve quality of life for people in LA. Let’s see how it’s been going. 

Changing lives, moving Angelenos

In Phase I of Metro’s Mobility Wallet (May 2023 to April 2024), 1,000 low-income residents of South Los Angeles received a monthly $150 transport stipend on a prepaid card. This stipend covered a range of shared transport services, such as Metro Bus and Rail, e-scooters and bikes, regional transport options like Amtrak and Greyhound, and Uber trips.

As reported by Mass Transit, an initial survey showed that 80% of Mobility Wallet participants were on financial assistance programs, more than 60% regularly used public transport, 50% didn’t have a driver’s licence, and 40% lived in a household without a car. 

Over the 12-month pilot phase, participants said they saw a significant improvement in their quality of life. According to UCLA’s Lewis Centre for Regional Policy Studies, Mobility Wallet users were able to redirect funds usually spent on transport to cover everyday essentials and plan for the future. They caught up on bills, bought school supplies, attended more social and family events, and even started contributing to savings accounts—some for the first time. 

Most importantly, participants reported less financial stress and better mental health. 

"They used their wallets to get involved in more social activities, take kids or family out, visit relatives, and catch up with others for celebrations.… [W]ith the wallet, participants could now add ride-hailing to their usual ways of getting around—public transport and walking—to reach these places." — UCLA Lewis Centre for Regional Policy Studies

Flexibility meets freedom

One of the biggest wins? Expanding access to flexible, on-demand rides. 

During Phase I, Mobility Wallet participants took more than 7,600 Uber trips to connect to fixed public transport routes, get to appointments, and head home stress-free late at night after social events or late-night shifts at work. 

“[I had] the freedom to just get up and go if that’s what I wanted to do,” a participant shared. “I wasn’t restricted in where I could go or what I could do.”

Building on the success of Phase I

Phase II kicked off in autumn 2024 and was extended to 2,000 eligible participants across LA County. Each participant received up to $1,800 over 12 months to use on shared transport, making it easier for more people to get around Los Angeles. As part of this program, participants were also given Uber vouchers.

Uber is proud to support Los Angeles on its journey towards universal basic mobility. We’re keen to see the results of Phase II.