Request for Proposals (RFP)



Program Overview

The National RTAP Community Rides Grant Program is intended to develop or strengthen transportation partnerships and the capacity of rural transit programs. Successful projects will increase access to critical needs like employment, healthcare, education, healthy food, social services, or recreation. 


National RTAP will award grants up to $100,000, to assist transit programs in taking the next steps in forming local mobility partnerships. Eligible applicants for awards are existing rural systems that receive Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Grants under 49 USC Section 5311. 




Timeline

  • July 2, 2025: Request for proposals (RFP) published
  • July 22, 2025 | 2:00-3:00 PM ET: Informational webinar: Program Overview and Transportation Partnership Examples 
  • July 31, 2025: 
  •  2:00-3:00 PM ET: Webinar on Project Development, Performance Measures, National RTAP Cost Allocation Calculator Overview, and Application Portal Overview 
  • Grant application portal opens by this date
  • August 29, 2025: Grant application due date
  • Grant announcements will be made in October 2025.
  • November/December 2025: National RTAP will begin work with selected grantees to prepare for year-one grant activity.
  • January 1, 2026: Year-one grant activity begins.
  • December 31, 2026: All Community Rides Grant projects must be completed.
  • March 31, 2027: Final report/supporting materials due.


Key Links

  • Email grants@nationalrtap.org to register for Community Rides Grant program updates and to submit questions. Use the subject line, “Community Rides Grant”.
  • Webinar Registration: July 22, 2025 | 2:00-3:00 PM ET: Informational webinar: Program Overview and Transportation Partnership Examples 
  • Webinar Registration: July 31, 2025 | 2:00-3:00 PM ET: Informational webinar: Project Development, Performance Measures, National RTAP Cost Allocation Calculator Overview, and Application Portal Overview 
  • Link to the application portal will be added to this page by July 31, 2025
  • Webinar recordings will be posted to this site.


Proposal Resources

Following are a list of National RTAP resources highlighting local transportation partnerships and planning and operations tools. 


National RTAP Technology Tools


  • National RTAP supports technology tools to help rural transit agencies plan and operate transit service. Two of these technology tools are particularly relevant to the Community Rides Grant program.
  • Cost Allocation Calculator determines the fully allocated cost for providing service by individual route/service, mode, service area, type of service, sponsored type, primary funding source, and individual local sponsors (if applicable). Community Rides Grant proposals are encouraged to use the Cost Allocation Calculator to estimate expanded or new transit service proposed under this program.
  • RideSheet is a tool for operating and reporting on small demand-response transportation services. It supports rural, small urban, and urban specialized services that are ready to move away from paper, whiteboards, and ad-hoc spreadsheets and move to systematic and accessible tracking tools. RideSheet is an eligible Community Rides Grant program activity to build local partnerships, support the scheduling of trips, and coordinate transportation services across operators and service destinations, like community and health related services. 


Planning Resources


National RTAP offers resources covering all aspects of rural transportation. Provided here are links to the full list of National RTAP Technical Briefs, Technology Tools, eLearning Modules, and Training Resources. 


Following are some specific resources to support the Community Rides Grant program. Click on the topics to read the resources.


Marketing


Marketing is critical to transit service and building community support and ridership. National RTAP produced a comprehensive transit marketing video series to assist rural transit agencies in promoting transit services and reaching transit users. 


Financial Planning 


This section of the Transit Manager's Toolkit introduces budgeting and finance concepts that rural transit managers need to know. Developing and monitoring an annual budget, ensuring that expenses are in line with the budget, and obtaining funding from a variety of sources are key to sustaining the transit system. 


Planning and Evaluation 


This resource touches on strategic and service planning considerations.   


Driver Recruitment, Training and Retentionand Driver Retention Best Practices Spotlight


These resources cover driver recruitment, hiring, training and retention strategies. 


Developing, Designing and Delivering Community Transportation 


This Technical Brief outlines how transit organizations can develop, design and deliver transit services.


Service gap analysis 


This resource outlines engagement strategies to better understand a community’s transportation needs. 


Past Awarded Community Rides Grant Program


The previous awarded Community Rides Grant program projects offer examples of local partnerships aimed at addressing specific transportation needs. 


Two webinars were held to describe the program and to highlight partnership examples and tips for successful projects - including Flint Michigan's Rides to Wellness Program, HIRTA Public Transit in Iowa's local partnerships, and Big Woods Transit in Minnesota's innovative strategies to meet community needs.


Community Rides Grant Project Outcomes and Lessons Learned - Webinar Recording | PowerPoint

Program Overview and Transportation Partnership Examples -  Webinar Recording | PowerPoint

Project Development, Performance Measures, and Application Portal Overview -  Webinar Recording | PowerPoint


Project Outcomes


The results of many of the projects are shared below in the form of a final report and a PowerPoint slide deck for each grantee, in alphabetical order by state. Click the name of the grantee or the arrow to expand the window.


You can also see the location of the 19 grantees in the interactive map to the right.


The vast majority of the projects resulted in expanded service that is being sustained after the grant term through Section 5311 or another funding source. As of April 2024, one year after the grants concluded, 16 of the 19 projects have sustained their services or initiatives.


One key takeaway was the need for funds and support to be able to prove the demand and viability for a service in order to get consistent funding. Another takeaway is the value of local partnerships and advocates as well as peer information and support.

  • Eastern Sierra Transit Authority, California - $73,398

    Expanded demand response service area and hours in a very rural area with tribal members in the community. Collaborators include a hospital, substance abuse recovery center, community action organization, and domestic violence center, among others. 


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • Fresno County Rural Transit Agency, California - $59,500

    Conducting stakeholder outreach and developing a plan for a new on-demand service that connects rural communities with services in Fresno, utilizing new technology and electric vehicles. Project collaborators include a social services organization and healthcare providers. 


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • Disability Services Inc., dba Envida, Colorado - $85,388

    New and/or expanded transit service in counties with little to no public transit currently, involving mobility management, coordinated planning, and on-demand technology. Project collaborators include healthcare providers, substance abuse recovery centers, and employers, among others. 


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • Penquis C.A.P., Inc., Maine - $100,000

    Expanded transit service and hours in a very rural area, with transit service during the day and night and weekend service using transit agency vehicles and volunteer drivers. Project collaborators include hospitals, the veterans' bureau, and community organizations. 


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • Benzie Transportation Authority, Michigan - $30,000

    Implementing new technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of transit operations, specifically the scheduling of healthcare related trips and coordinating with medical centers. Project partners include a senior services organization and local hospital. 


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • Clinton Area Transit System, Michigan - $100,000

    New coordinated transportation program utilizing technology, involving transit and healthcare providers and area agencies on aging in a nine-county region. The focus is on health-supportive trips.


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • Bolivar County Council on Aging, Inc., Mississippi - $100,000

    New microtransit service to access grocery stores and a food delivery service in an area with high poverty and limited access to healthy food. Collaborators include a rural transit technology company, university, various grocery stores, and a local non-profit organization. 


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • Windrider Transit, Montana - $70,170

    New transit routes as well as expanded hours for existing routes to improve access to healthcare providers, grocery shopping and more. Partners include two local medical centers as well as multiple dental practices. 


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • Cedar County Transit, Nebraska - $97,800

    New transit service into Knox County, currently without any public transit, to be provided by the neighboring county's transit system and with support from the state DOT. Healthcare providers and area agencies on aging are among the partners. 


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • Rural Health Network of SCNY, Inc., New York - $100,000

    Technology implementation and partner coordination to optimize a volunteer driver program and improve access to health supportive destinations. Partners include a volunteer transportation center, area agencies on aging, a social services organization and county planning department.


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • The Arc Chemung-Schuyler, New York - $80,000

    New employment, healthcare, and recreation focused route to a county currently not serviced by the transit agency, working with a workforce organization, among others. 


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • Mitchell County Transportation, North Carolina - $100,000

    New fixed route in an area with only demand response during limited weekday hours, to increase mobility and access and prevent people from having to walk long distances on a dangerous highway. Collaborators include the city and county, a health-focused non-profit, and a large local employer. 


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • McCormick County Senior Center / McCormick Area Transit, South Carolina - $100,000

    New transit service in an area without public transit, with a focus on transportation to health-supportive destinations. Partners include the county, state DOT, and healthcare providers.


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • River Cities Public Transit, South Dakota - $90,000

    Implementing new technology to improve coordination and the efficiency of transit operations to increase and improve service. The three partners are transit agencies and will also be working with healthcare centers and local organizations that work with veterans and tribes. 


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency, Tennessee - $50,000

    Improving transit information, marketing, community feedback, and trip planning capacity to increase awareness of existing transit services and improve the ease-of-use for riders. Partners include a local university and a charitable foundation. 


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • West River Transit Authority, Inc. dba Prairie Hills Transit, South Dakota - $44,583

    New transit service in an area without public transit, provided by the transit agency of a neighboring county. The service will provide access from smaller communities to the county seat for access to healthcare, shopping, and jobs, and the partners include a hospital and nursing home. 


    Final Report

  • Rural Economic Assistance League (REAL), Inc., Texas - $90,000

    New transit service targeted to students, with numerous partners including colleges and other educational institutions in the region, as well as county governments. 


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • Mountain Empire Older Citizens Inc., Virginia - $53,703

    Interstate route providing regional connectivity and increased access to jobs and medical care, with collaboration between a senior organization and transit agency in a neighboring state. 


    Final Report | PowerPoint

  • Sawyer County/LCO Transit Commission dba Namekagon Transit, Wisconsin - $99,540

    New vanpool to a large employer in the area, which is one of the project partners and one of the only manufacturers in the area to express a desire to hire individuals with a criminal record. Another partner is the local county sheriff's office which runs a work release program. Will be open to the public. 


    Final Report | Poster

Updated 10/12/23