Our History
How RideNoCo evolved over time.
Background
The idea for the RideNoCo program started from the 2013-2018 Larimer County Strategic Plan. The Larimer County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) set a goal to evaluate the transportation needs and challenges of seniors living in unincorporated Larimer County and to develop a strategy to address them through existing and new options. This goal led to the Larimer County Senior Transportation Needs Assessment (Needs Assessment).
The Needs Assessment recommended ten programmatic and system-level tasks:
- On-demand paid services
- Volunteer driver program
- Expansion of existing services
- Family and friend subsidy
- Fixed route shuttle
- Education and marketing
- Dispatch/Call Center
- Senior Commission and Transit Ambassadors
- Travel Trainings
- Online Platform
A close partnership between the NFRMPO, Foothills Gateway, Larimer County Community Planning, Infrastructure & Resources (Community Development), the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE), the Larimer County Office on Aging (LCOA), Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities (PAFC), and Rural Alternative for Transportation (RAFT) worked on implementing recommendations from the Larimer County Senior Transportation Needs Assessment. From the Needs Assessment, this group worked on three separate grants: Project MILES, the Proof-of-Concept project, and the Larimer County Senior Transportation Implementation Plan.
This close partnership of organizations met periodically to assess and implement these recommendations. The group interviewed agencies, companies, and organizations that offer similar programs nationwide. Based on these findings, the group moved forward with the idea of a One Call/One Click Center for Larimer County. Although the project began in Larimer County, the NFRMPO Planning Council approved a region-wide program. As part of this, NFRMPO Mobility staff began meeting with Weld County stakeholders to adapt the Implementation Plan recommendations.
Project MILES
Project MILES (Mobility Inclusiveness, Locations Everywhere, Simple) was a collaborative effort led by PAFC and the NFRMPO, funded by the NADTC through the Getting Ready to Innovate grant program. The funding was used to accomplish two goals:
The Expert Panel consisted of staff from transportation providers, riders, advocates, and system-level organizations. Together, the group met six times and was absorbed into the Larimer County Mobility Committee.
The Expert Panel created evaluation criteria to use during two “pilots”: the Expert Panel received two walkthrough presentations of Routematch and Cambridge Systematics.
One Call/One Click Center Proof of Concept Project
The NFRMPO, LCOA, Via Mobility, RAFT, Senior Alternative in Transportation (SAINT) Volunteer Transportation, Heart&SOUL Paratransit, and zTrip partnered to pilot the use of Via’s Call Center with volunteer and taxi providers. The project was funded using an NADTC Innovations in Accessible Mobility grant.
The community sought to test the viability of a more coordinated transportation management system by utilizing a One Call/One Click Center (OCOCC). As part of this OCOCC, riders contacted the call center directly rather than individual ride providers to schedule rides. The providers had the opportunity to use ride management software and a call center to schedule and report on the rides they provided. The overall goals of the project included:
Establishing new relationships and agreements to formalize partnerships among key project participants;
Connecting up to five local ride providers with a mobility management system featuring the services of a call center (provided by Via Mobility) and software system (provided by Routematch and Via Mobility);
Providing at least 400 rides as requested and documented through the mobility management system between May and August 2019, later extended to October.
During this proof-of-concept project, 514 rides were provided via 237 phone calls. NADTC created a video highlighting the national impact of these projects, available below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9jG0ji4wwQ
A regional video was also prepared.
Senior Transportation Implementation Plan
The NFRMPO and Larimer County applied for an FTA § 5304 grant through CDOT to complete a Senior Transportation Implementation Plan that integrates work from the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) grants, the Needs Assessment, and other efforts. The NFRMPO is managing the project with TransitPlus as a consultant. The project kicked off in April 2019 and was completed in November 2019.
The recommendations from the plan include:
- The NFRMPO hosts the Mobility Manager and the One-Call/One-Click Center.
- The program uses open-source trip discovery software like 1-Click | CS software.
- The program uses open-source trip scheduling software (like Ride Pilot).
The recommendations were led by the Larimer County Mobility Committee (LCMC), which served as the Plan's Steering Committee. The NFRMPO Planning Council approved the recommendations on January 9, 2020.
Roll out of the RideNoCo Program
RideNoCo is the regional mobility program of the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO). The program brings together human service agencies, transportation providers, and community members to improve mobility and expand access to transportation across the North Front Range.
Established in 2021, RideNoCo launched with the RideNoCo website and the Transportation Assistance Call Center, creating a centralized hub for transportation information, referrals, and personal assistance. These tools simplified how community members access reliable transportation resources and support. RideNoCo is the first program in the nation to offer this type of service.
Since its launch, RideNoCo has continued to grow. The program now includes an online trip-planning tool and the completion of the RideNoCo Coordination Project in 2024. Through the Coordination Project, the RideNoCo Call Center is directly connected to the ride-scheduling systems of participating transportation providers. This integration allows staff to efficiently collect riders’ information and transportation needs and electronically connect them with the appropriate provider.
In recognition of its impact and innovation, the Coordination Project received the Transit Project of the Year award at the Fall 2024 Colorado Association of Transit Agencies (CASTA) Conference.
Follow Along on Social Media
RideNoCo posts information about regional mobility providers, updates, and engagement opportunities for Northern Colorado.