getting around town

Toyota and AARP power up new mobile ride-hailing program in Dallas

The service can be booked for trips to the grocery store.

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AARP and Toyota are joining with Dallas-area organizations for a new transportation initiative. The AARP Ride@50+ Program allows residents to book rides on multiple modes of transportation and pay for them all in one place.

This includes essential rides such as COVID-19 vaccination appointments, trips to the grocery store or pharmacy, or medical appointments.

"Every day people miss crucial medical appointments because of a lack of access or awareness in using local transportation options," said Kyle Rakow, vice president and national director of AARP Driver Safety, in a statement. "By arming older adults with knowledge and an accessible platform, we hope to make it easier for those in Dallas to get around, especially if it helps them stay safe and healthy."

Those who wish to receive a COVID-19 vaccinations through Parkland Hospital and Dallas County are eligible for free rides to their appointment. The rides are made possible because of a grant from Toyota.

The AARP Ride@50+ was created as a single point of access to "review, compare, book, and pay for local transportation alternatives through a mobile application, online booking platform, or by phone."

According to program materials, the cost of each ride depends on the length and transportation option chosen. The cost is made clear ahead of booking. Payment is made using any major credit card. Prior to booking a ride, passengers and transportation providers must agree to follow all applicable future and current COVID-19 safety recommendations, including CDC and state guidelines.

The program is available to people of all ages but focuses its efforts on individuals 50 and older and other vulnerable individuals. AARP membership is not required.

In addition to Dallas County, the program is currently serving residents in Richland and Lexington County, South Carolina; and Washtenaw County, Michigan.

"The AARP Ride@50+ Program offers a simple, affordable, and efficient solution to finding local transportation for people of all ages," said Sean Suggs, group vice president, Toyota Social Innovation. "This program makes it easier to access critical services and help people get to where they want to go, and that is what mobility for all is about."

For more information, visit www.aarp.org/ridedallas or call 1-800-466-1461.

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Welcome to Texas

Texas remains No. 1 draw for movers despite slowing migration

Welcome to Texas sign

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Texas continues to be the country’s No. 1 magnet for newcomers from other states, giving a boost to the state’s economy. However, Texas’ appeal weakened in 2024 compared with the previous year, due in large part to spiking home prices.

An analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by self-storage platform StorageCafe shows Texas saw net interstate migration of 76,000 people in 2024. Texas’ net interstate migration dropped nearly 50 percent from 2023, according to the analysis. Net migration refers to the number of incoming residents minus the number of outgoing residents.

California remained the top source of newcomers for Texas, sending nearly 77,000 residents to the Lone Star State in 2024, the analysis says. Florida ranked second, followed by New York, Colorado and Illinois.

“These trends reveal Texas’ continued pull from both high-cost coastal markets and other large Sun Belt states, resulting in a mix of affordability-driven and job-driven relocation,” StorageCafe says.

Putting a damper on the influx of new residents: a roughly 124 percent surge in Texas home prices over the past decade, according to StorageCafe.

“While the state remains significantly more affordable than California, its top feeder state, the once-wide pricing gap has narrowed,” says StorageCafe. “For many movers, Texas is still a relative bargain, but no longer an undisputed one.”

Nonetheless, Texas keeps attracting young, highly educated people, which bodes well for the state’s long-term economic outlook, StorageCafe says. More than half of new arrivals to Texas in 2024 held at least a bachelor’s degree, and the age of newcomers averaged 32.

Where are most of these young, highly educated newcomers settling?

Lloyd Potter, former Texas state demographer, tells StorageCafe that population growth in Texas is happening most rapidly in suburban “ring counties” at the expense of slowing growth in urban cores. Ring counties are on the outskirts of major metro areas.

“Many people are moving from urban cores to suburban rings seeking lower costs, newer housing, better schools, and more space,” Potter says. “Typically, a move to a suburban county will be within commuting or hybrid‑commuting distance of major metro economies.”

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This story originally appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.

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