List of Descriptions of Transportation Providers and Services
Specialized Transportation and ADA Complementary Paratransit
Figure 9 summarizes all the specialized transportation and ADA complementary paratransit providers that have been identified at the time of plan development to be providing service to the Colorado Springs UZA – a designated area entirely within El Paso County for which PPACG distributes Section 5310 funds. Each specialized provider specifically targets to meet the needs of the focus population groups of the Specialized Transportation Plan. Each of these services is described in greater detail on subsequent pages.
Figure 9. Overview of Specialized Transportation Services in Pikes Peak Region
| Provider | Service Area | Services Provided | Focus Population |
| Asteri EMS / The Way | Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs | Door-to-door service for NEMT | Qualified Colorado Medicaid Recipients |
| Axel Medical Transportation | Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Security-Widefield, Fountain, Monument | Door-to-door service for NEMT | Qualified Colorado Medicaid Recipients |
| Beo Mobility | Colorado Springs metropolitan area | Door-through-door service for medical appointments | Older adults and people with disabilities, but open to general public |
| Blue Skies | Must start in El Paso County, but will go to Denver, Castle Rock, Pueblo, Canon City | Door-to-door service for NEMT | Qualified Colorado Medicaid Recipients |
| Community Intersections | Colorado Springs metropolitan area | Transportation to access in-house programs, transportation to employment | Adults with developmental disabilities |
| Envida | El Paso and Teller Counties (varies by program) | Door-to-door and door-through-door transportation, deviated fixed-route service, NEMT rides | Varies by program (older adults, individuals with disabilities, general public, Medicaid recipients, etc.) |
| Fountain Valley Senior Center | Fountain and southeastern El Paso County, special outings to destinations across Colorado | Door-through-door transportation for a variety of purposes including medical appointments, shopping, employment/education | Individuals 60+ (with some programs available for those 55+) and individuals with disabilities |
| Friends Transportation | Colorado Springs | Door-to-door service for NEMT | Qualified Colorado Medicaid Recipients |
| GoodWheels (Goodwill) | Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Medicaid destinations, anywhere in Colorado for private paying clients | Door-through-door service for different needs: medical appointments (including NEMT), shopping, errands, airport transportation, etc. | General public, specialized in transportation for individuals utilizing wheelchairs |
| Medride | El Paso County | Door-to-door service for NEMT | Qualified Colorado Medicaid Recipients |
| Mountain Metro Mobility (MMT) | ¾-mile of existing MMT routes (excluding deviated fixed-routes) | Door-to-door ADA complementary paratransit | Individuals with disabilities |
| Rocky Mountain PACE | Colorado Springs, Fountain, Manitou Springs | Door-through-door service for medical appointments | Only for PACE participants (also must be 55+) |
| Second Home Care | El Paso County, Teller County, Park County | Door-to-door service for NEMT | Qualified Colorado Medicaid Recipients |
| Silver Key | Qualifying ZIP codes across Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, and some surrounding communities, some services available on Monument, Palmer Lake, and Glen Eagle areas | ADA accessible door-through-door transportation | Older adults 60+ |
| Teller Senior Coalition | Available for Teller Conty residents and residents of selected portions of Eastern Park and Western El Paso counties. Transportation is provided to all areas of Teller County and Colorado Springs area. Shuttle services are available in Teller County | Door-to-door transportation, shuttle service, NEMT | Older adults, but open to the general public |
| Transit to Care | El Paso County, Teller County, Pueblo | Door-to-door service for NEMT | Qualified Colorado Medicaid Recipients |
| Veterans Transportation Service | Colorado Springs VA Clinic and Aurora VA Medical Center | Shuttle transportation for medical appointments | Veterans receiving healthcare through United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) |
Mountain Metro Mobility
Individuals who are unable to use fixed-route MMT services because of a disability, and are deemed eligible after completing an evaluation process, are allowed to use Mountain Metro Mobility, MMT’s ADA complementary paratransit service. Mountain Metro Mobility service is provided during the same days and times as local MMT bus service and is generally available within ¾-mile of existing fixed-routes (excluding Routes 38 and 40, the two deviated fixed-routes). General service hours for Mountain Metro Mobility range from 5:00 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. on weekdays, from 6:00 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. on Saturday, and from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. Longer hours of service are available on Friday/Saturday evenings for those traveling in the downtown area served by the Downtown Colorado Springs (ZEB) shuttle. Reservations can be made via phone or via email, as early as three calendar days in advance of a trip. Reservations are available Monday through Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Taxi Choice (a premium passenger service) is available to Mountain Metro Mobility passengers whose ride is seven miles or less. Reservations for this service can be made up to three days in advance and no same-day rides nor changes are allowed. The fare for the Taxi Choice is the same as standard ADA complementary paratransit but can only be paid using an electronic prepaid account.
Envida
Envida provides a variety of transportation services, including door-to-door, door-through-door transportation, deviated fixed-route service, and NEMT rides. Specialized transportation is provided for Colorado Springs and nearby areas (including Monument) for individuals with disabilities, older adults, people with low incomes and others with specific qualifying circumstances. Envida also provides deviated fixed-route services in Eastern El Paso County open to the general public, operating Monday through Thursday, with service starting at 6:40 a.m. through 4:10 p.m. Additionally, Envida coordinates with various agencies in Park and Teller Counties to assist individuals in accessing medical services in Colorado Springs through Medicaid’s NEMT program, as well as handling mileage reimbursement for family and friends through NEMT (however, Envida does not directly provide transportation services in Park County). Transportation can be scheduled on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Envida partnered with PPACG to pilot an on-demand transportation service. Service has been operational for over a year. However, this pilot is open only to a few individuals in the Colorado Springs area and it is not open to the public, as it aims to identify the resources that are needed to provide and expand on-demand service.
Fountain Valley Senior Center
Fountain Valley Senior Center provides transportation for individuals 60 years of age or older and those with disabilities (with some services available to individuals 55 years of age or older) who live in southern and eastern El Paso County. Transportation is available for a variety of purposes, including medical appointments, employment, and recreation, for destinations including Fountain Valley, Colorado Springs, and other parts of El Paso County. Special outings are provided to destinations across Colorado.
The City of Fountain contracts with the Fountain Valley Senior Center to provide ADA complementary paratransit service for individuals unable to use Fountain Municipal Transit’s deviated fixed-route service due to a disability. Transportation service is provided Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Reservations can be made via phone only, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Goodwill of Colorado’s GoodWheels
GoodWheels provides door-through-door service for different needs, including medical appointments, shopping, errands, and airport transportation. Transportation is open to the general public, although the program specializes in transportation for individuals utilizing wheelchairs. The service area is Colorado Springs and Pueblo, although GoodWheels will take individuals to Medicaid destinations and anywhere in Colorado for private pay clients. The phone line to request rides is available Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Rocky Mountain PACE
Rocky Mountain PACE provides door-through-door service for medical appointments for PACE participants (who must be 55 years of age or older). The service area is Colorado Springs, Fountain, and Manitou Springs. Transportation is provided Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., although service is available outside of those hours/days depending on specific individual needs.
Silver Key
Silver Key offers ADA accessible door-through-door transportation for a variety of purposes, including medical appointments, VA medical facility trips, shopping trips, group meals, and social/recreation trips. Individuals utilizing services must be 60+ and reside in qualifying ZIP codes in Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, and some surrounding communities. Reservations can be made up to two weeks in advance, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and transportation is available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Beginning in summer 2023, Silver Key took over transportation services for Mountain Community Senior Services. Silver Key now also provides medical rides to seniors in the Monument, Palmer Lake, and Glen Eagle areas Monday through Friday. Limited connections to the Tri-Lakes Senior Center are also provided Monday and Wednesday for lunch, picking customers up from their home and driving them back.
Teller Senior Coalition
The Teller Senior Coalition provides door-to-door transportation for Teller County residents and for residents of selected portions of eastern Park County and western El Paso County. Transportation is provided to all areas of Teller County and the Colorado Springs area. Medical appointments for seniors are prioritized, although the service is open for everyone for certain situations. Additionally, the Teller Senior Coalition offers shuttle services in Teller County for the general public, with different runs each day serving different geographies of the county (individuals have the ability to request a stop). NEMT is also provided. Transportation services operate Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Scheduling is available on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Community Intersections
Community Intersections provides transportation for adults with developmental disabilities to access programs provided by the agency itself as well as access to employment in the Colorado Springs metropolitan area. Transportation services are provided Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Veterans Transportation Services
A service for veterans receiving healthcare services through the VA, the Veterans Transportation Service (VTS), provides a shuttle connecting PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom VA Clinic in Colorado Springs with the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora. This helps extend access to a greater quantity of specialized services from the VA which may not necessarily be locally available. The VTS service, however, may have limited reach because of a reliance on volunteer drivers with little capacity.
Additional Providers Listed
There are several additional specialized transit providers serving the Colorado Springs UA which are listed in the PPACG Mobility Guide. These additional providers (Asteri EMS / The Way, Axel Medical Transportation, Blue Skies, Friends Transportation, Medride, Second Home Care, and Transit to Care) offer NEMT services for eligible Colorado Medicaid recipients only. As noted later in this chapter, there are nearly 100 eligible NEMT providers offering service to El Paso County alone.
Detailed Operations and Performance Indicators from Selected Specialized Providers
For the purposes of this report, specialized transportation providers receiving funds through the PPAAA reported additional information relevant to their respective transportation operations and services. These findings are detailed in Figure 10 and Figure 11. However, it is important to reiterate that the information on those figures has been compiled from reports that providers voluntarily shared with PPACG, based on each provider’s unique definitions and perspectives. Therefore, the data could be subject to discrepancies in accuracy.
Figure 10. Operations Details Reported by Specialized Transportation Services
| Provider | Transportation Hours of Operation | Fleet Summary | Main Sources of Funding |
| Fountain Valley Senior Center | 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Mon-Fri) | Number of Vehicles: 11 3 Ford Mini-Bus 2 Transit 350 Wagon 3 Dodge Mini-Van 2 Ford Mini SUV 1 Toyota Sienna ADA Accessible Vehicles: 6 Vehicles Past Useful Life: 3 | Area Agency on Aging (AAA) Regular (60%) AAA Assisted (40%) |
| Silver Key | 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Mon-Fri) | Number of Vehicles: 34 Buses: 12 Mini-Vans: 22 ADA Accessible Vehicles: 22 Vehicles Past Useful Life: 6 | PPACG Assisted (24%) PPACG Regular (12%) 5310 FTA (36%) MMOF (27%) |
| Teller Senior Coalition | 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Mon-Fri) | Number of Vehicles: 12 (2 more expected in 2024) 2 Cutaway Bus 2 Transit Van 3 Forester Car 2 Braun Van 1 Chrysler Pacifica 1 Toyota Sienna 1 Terrain Car ADA Accessible Vehicles: 6 Vehicles Past Useful Life: 2 | PPACGCDOT/FTAMedicaid |
| Community Intersections | 6:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Mon-Fri) | Number of Vehicles: 8 2 mini vans 1 standard van 1 transit van 4 cutaway buses ADA Accessible Vehicles: 7 Vehicles Past Useful Life: 4 | Medicaid funding through HCBS waiver services. |
| Envida | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Mon-Fri) 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Sat (with exceptions for dialysis appointments and behavioral health programs) | Number of Vehicles: 34 9 SUVs 9 Vans 9 BOCs 5 BOC – V (Ford Transit Passenger ADA) 2 Cars ADA Accessible Vehicles: 15 Vehicles Past Useful Life: 3 | AAA Assisted (12.1%) 5310 (20.6%) Medicaid (46.5%) 5311 (6.6%) CDBG (1.2%) Private pay contracts (1.5%) Other grants (10.2%) Contributions (1.3%) (information based on 2024 budget) |
Figure 11. Performance Details Reported by Specialized Transportation Services
| Provider | Trips Provided Oct ’22-Sep ‘23 | % of Trips Provided to Ages Under 60 and Disabled Individuals* | % of Trips Provided to Ages 60+ Individuals* | Rides Denied Annually | Top Ride Request Reasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fountain Valley Senior Center | 14,441 | 9.17% | 90.83% | 400 | Medical appointments Socialization Essential trips (e.g. grocery store, bank, etc.) |
| Silver Key | 32,061 | 0.50% | 94% | 4,229 | Medical appointments Essential trips (e.g. grocery store, bank, etc.) Transportation to a meal site |
| Teller Senior Coalition | 10,398 | 8.8% | 91.25% | 270 1 | Medical appointments Socialization Essential trips (e.g. grocery store, bank, etc.) |
| Community Intersections | 10,624 | 75% | 25% | 0 | Work Day programs |
| Envida | 78,276 Annual Unlinked Trips2 | 6% | 59% | 2,373 | Medical appointments Work Day programs |
*Percentage of trips were originally reported as percentages and may be approximations. They may also not add up to 100% due to a variety of other groups that may be riding (e.g., caretakers) depending on the interpretation of the respondent.
Additional Transit Programs and Partnerships
There are additional programs and partnerships which serve as a broad safety net for vulnerable communities and the target populations of the Specialized Transportation Plan. Some of these may come in the form of standard policy practices, like NEMT, while others may be uniquely tailored to the region, like supports for veterans from the Independence Center or shuttles to training sites for Paralympic athletes.
Free/Subsidized/Discounted Fares
- As part of the “Zero Fare for Better Air” statewide initiative, free rides were available for all riders on MMT in August of 2022, June through August of 2023, and July through August 2024, including for Mountain Metro Mobility riders.
- Service on the ZEB is regularly free for all riders.
- Discounts of at least 50% from MMT single ride cash fares, 31-day tickets, and 20-ride tickets are available for people over the age of 60, between the ages of 6 and 18, or with a Medicare Card or Disabled Reduced Fare Authorization (issued by the Independence Center).
- Fountain Municipal Transit is using Ozone Season Transit Grant program funds to provide zero-fare service in July and August, which has increased ridership for those months in the past when service was fare-free.
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT)
- For people under the Health First Colorado (Medicaid) plan who have no other means of transportation (including free transportation), NEMT provides connections to medically necessary appointments and services.
- Enrollees request reimbursement for eligible rides through the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.
- In El Paso County alone, over 100 providers are currently enlisted as NEMT service providers, including GoodWheels, Envida, and a variety of taxi companies. However, per State law, TNCs (e.g., Uber) are not covered or reimbursed by NEMT.
Veterans
- For Veterans of the United States Armed Forces, free weekday shuttles are available connecting PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom VA Clinic in Colorado Springs to the Rocky Mountain Regional (RMR) VA Medical Center in Aurora. These shuttle rides, which are part of the VTS, are free and for VA medical appointments. Rides must be scheduled in advance with a VA transportation coordinator.
- Veterans who meet beneficiary travel eligibility requirements and are either unable to independently transfer into a private vehicle or necessitate medical care during transport beyond what an attendant can provide, may receive an extra free transportation service. These rides, which are free and only for VA medical trips within the Colorado Springs region, are scheduled in advance with a VA transportation coordinator.
- Veterans may receive a discount on some, but not all, private transportation/taxi services.
- Through the Veteran in Charge program in collaboration with the Independence Center, veterans may also receive support for in-home personal care services (which reduces the need for travel in certain situations).
Equitable Access Programs for Other Transportation Modes
The following programs are specifically for bicycle rentals, in the form of discounts offered to people with low incomes in the Pikes Peak region:
- The PikeRide program, available to the general public, has a discounted program for people residing in a “Disproportionately Impacted Communities for Colorado Energy Office Transportation Program” and making 80% or less of the area median income (AMI). Eligible participants will receive an electronic-assist bike and charger to lease at $25 a month. The program is supported by the Colorado Energy Office.
- WeRide is a program allowing people with proof of financial hardship to receive a $20 annual membership to a bike share program in Colorado Springs.
- Lime Access provides discounted fares to eligible riders who participate in local, state, or federal public benefits programs. Lime Access also provides access to scooters for riders without smartphones or credit cards.
- Veo Access provides discounted fares to eligible riders who participate in local, state, or federal public benefits programs, as well as Colorado Springs area residents who are active and former armed services members. Veo also provides a call-based system to allow users without smartphones or bank accounts to access the devices.
Footnotes
- Was originally reported as 2.6% of trips each month.
- Data obtained through 2022 NTD Annual Agency profile and not through the survey instrument.