Ride Alliance is an on-demand transit service designed to help older adults, veterans and people with mobility challenges get around the Denver region. Ride Alliance, which is currently not accepting ride requests, recently received a $975,486 grant in the area of transit innovation from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation Grant program.
The grant will be used to fund Ride Alliance Human Service Transportation Trip Exchange software project. Enhancing the computer software will aid in developing an integrated backend system to streamline the on-demand response transportation service.
The Ride Alliance Human Service Transportation Trip Exchange project was one of 34 programs selected nationally out of 321 eligible projects, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The need for on-demand transit response services in the Denver region outpaces existing service levels resulting in longer trip request wait times and more trip denials. The delay means the region’s vulnerable residents are unable to access critical resources necessary for health, independence and quality of life.
How will it work?
The Ride Alliance Trip Exchange software will function as a central hub for service providers using different dispatching software and platforms for demand response transit trips. This coordination will work through application programming interfaces that connect the “endpoint” systems to the central hub.
Riders will register an account with Ride Alliance either online or over the phone.
Riders will provide consent to share information with the Ride Alliance partners and then proceed to request a ride.
Trip providers can accept or reject a trip based on factors such as availability or service hours.
Rejected trips will be posted to the Trip Exchange, allowing other providers to accept or reject the trip, improving user experience and greater trip efficiency as the provider is able to fill empty seats.
Project outcomes
The enhanced computer system will allow Ride Alliance to transform how demand response services are used by riders and accessed by service providers. This innovative approach enhances the quality of life for those who rely on demand response services and sets a new standard for accessible and inclusive transportation solutions.
About the grant program
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorized the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation Grants program to build demonstration projects focused on advanced data-driven community technologies and systems to improve transportation efficiency and safety.
The program funds projects that use technology interventions to solve real-world challenges that communities face. With a focus on purpose-driven, innovative technologies that invest in mobility safety and accessibility improvements, the program enables DRCOG to demonstrate the benefits of an upgraded Ride Alliance Human Services Trip Exchange Hub.