The Flint, Mich., Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) announced a ridership increase of 64 percent on its Rides to Wellness service after providing 13,300 rides this month, compared to 8,081 passengers who were transported in October 2018.
The Rides to Wellness on-demand service offers same day service, provided within a goal of 30 minutes. Since the inception of the service in 2015, the Flint MTA has established 14 area partners that certify and pay for their clients on this transportation service.
Recently, the Rides to Wellness program was expanded to provide same day service to take veterans and their spouses. This service offers transportation across three counties and connecting services to veteran’s hospitals in Ann Arbor, Detroit and Saginaw. The number of veterans utilizing the service is growing exponentially daily, according to Flint MTA.
The Rides to Wellness program includes 100 cars and mini vans with ramps to meet clients’ needs. Plans call for expansion of an additional 50 vehicles over the next 18 months. Passengers may schedule via phone, internet and/or utilize a new app. The new app, when fully deployed, will allow passengers to directly schedule with the drivers. The Flint MTA anticipates that ridership will grow to 1,000 passengers per day by late spring of 2020.
“People are living much longer and the need for medical transportation services continues to grow,” said Ed Benning, general manager and CEO of Flint MTA.
