NCMM Grants and Opportunities

The Community Mobility Design Challenge offers up to $25,000 in funding plus intensive technical assistance throughout the grant.

The goal of the NCMM Community Mobility Design Challenge 2023 is to enable multi-sector community teams to develop promising mobility solutions that are inspired and informed by the results of community research. 

Visit our Community Mobility Challenge 2023 page for more details.

The purpose of these grants is to assist the recipients prepare to seek funding for a full-scale roll-out of solutions of an innovative transportation solution. With the new service, community members who are currently underserved will be able to become more fully engaged in economic opportunities, improve their health and well-being, and/or become more integrated into their community.

Each selected project was the culmination of cross-sector collaboration within the community. Applicants demonstrated how they will focus on underserved populations, thus improving equity in transportation services for their community.

Learn more about these pilot grants.

Each team is comprised of a variety of stakeholders to bring in perspectives from every part of the community. Below are the four communities taking part in the Design Challenge 2022 and their focus question.

• Lincoln County, Idaho
  What transit service designs are best suited to provide rural Lincoln County residents with access to the social determinants of health?
  
• Phillips County, Arkansas
  How might  our community work to improve access to a mobile, healthy food drop-off for residents of Phillips County who face transportation barriers?
• Southern Connect Region, Mississippi
  How can South Mississippi regional providers, using a customer designed solution, improve access to transportation in the most effective, practical and sustainable manner?

Learn more about the teams and their project on the Community Mobility Design Challenge 2022 website.

The NCMM Community Mobility Pilots are competitive grants for communities that have created innovative mobility solutions using a human-centered design process. These grants help agencies refine and grow their concepts into sustainable services their commutes can rely on. 

Current Pilot communities are:

• Allen County, KS
• Clark County, WA
• Lewis County, WA
• Mercer County, NJ
• Quaboag Valley, MA

Communities that have successfully completed the Community Mobility Design Challenge are invited to move into a Learning Launch of their designed solutions. 

Current Communities in the Learning Launch are:

• Botetourt County, VA
• North Charleston, SC
• Perry County, MO
• Ware County, GA

You can learn more about their solutions on the Community Mobility Design Challenge 2020 webpage. 

NCMM’s Community Mobility Design Challenge 2021 grants, with funding from the Federal Transit Administration, will support communities in seeking innovative ways to address the personal well-being of community members that face transportation barriers to health care access, economic opportunity, healthy food, or community and peer support opportunities. Teams will address populations that currently do not have access to equitable transportation because of income status, minority status, location, a pre-existing condition, or other reason.

Learn more about the projects here. 

The National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM), supported by the Federal Transit Administration, has released the application for the Community Mobility Design Challenge 2020. These grants will support communities seeking to create innovative mobility solutions for community members who face transportation barriers in advancing their personal well-being. NCMM staff will guide communities through this process. You can learn more about the grants here.

These grants, of up to $75,000, support pilot projects to improve residents’ access to healthcare services through expanded transportation options. Each community is creating a detailed “operations manual” for the implementation of these pilots and while also continuing to test the financial feasibility, operational viability, and customer desirability of their solutions through proof-of-concept launches. This year, all of our Ready-to-Launch Grantee’s were former Design Challenge Grantees as well. You can see their Design Challenge pitches linked below.

‣ South King County, WA
    Team: Hopelink (Lead)

Incentivizing recently discharged older adults lacking transportation to get to post-hospitalization appointments using a transportation credit system.

・Project description (planning stage–slides)

・“Meet Martha” — project description (video)

‣ Colorado Springs, CO
    Team: Envida (Lead), Colorado Community Health Alliance, El Paso County Public Health, Peak View Behavioral Health, Cedar Springs Hospital, AspenPointe, BethHaven

Embedding a transportation scheduling system into clinics to ensure behavioral health patients have a way to get to appointments, pharmacies, therapies, etc.

・Project description — planning stage (2019; pdf)

・Project description — planning stage (2019; video)

・Lessons learned — planning stage (2019; video)

・Final Report — implementation stage, with performance measures (2020; pdf)

‣ Reno, NV 
    Team: Neighbor Network of Northern Nevada (Lead), City of Reno Housing Authority, City of Reno Senior Citizens Advisory Committee, Center for Healthy Aging – Washoe County Senior Advisory Board

Designing a holistic, wrap-around service for low-income older adults living in senior villages to improve health and well-being, including Lyft rides to healthcare destinations.

・Previous Design Challenge Business Pitch Slides

These planning grants, of up to $25,000, are supporting communities in seeking innovative ways to address the particular mobility challenges experienced by low-income community members for whom a lack of transportation is an obstacle to the pursuit of economic, health, and social well-being. Listed below are the lead agency, team member agencies, and the focus question for each of the five selected teams. You can learn more about the grantees on the Community Mobility Design Challenge 2019 webpage. 

Dixon, Illinois
Team: Lee-Ogle Transportation System (Lead), Regional Office of Education, Lee County Health Department, Ogle County Health Department, Lee County Probation Department, KSB Hospital and Medical Clinics, Rochelle Community Hospital, Sinnissippi Centers

Asking the question “how might we increase awareness and access to services to improve well-being for low-income children and their families,” the team in Dixon, IL devised an day-in-the-life scenario to increase awareness and sue of public transit, especially among local youth.

• Project Pitch Video
• Project Pitch Slides

Allen County, Kansas
Team: Thrive Allen County (Lead), Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (Lead), Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, Allen County Regional Hospital, First Presbyterian Church

Allen County currently has limited public transportation options, leaving the community to ask “how might we address the transportation needs of patients with chronic physical and mental health conditions in Allen County?” During the grant process, the team devised a new deviated fixed-route service that could be implemented to help improve healthcare access in their community. 

• Project Pitch Video
• Project Pitch Slides

Mercer County, New Jersey
Team: The Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association (Lead), Rise of Hightstown, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, Mercer County Planning Division, East Trenton Collaborative Program

A changing economy has created new job centers in Mercer County, but transportation options have not always caught up. The community asked “how might we provide transportation for the underserved workers living in Trenton and Hightstown and East Windsor to jobs in East Windsor?” The team devised a new system using a carpooling app to help connect community members to employment. 

• Project Pitch Video
• Project Pitch Slides

Clark County, Washington
Team: Human Services Council (Lead), Kaiser Permanente (Lead), Amy Elkinton (Citizen), Harry Kiick (Citizen), Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health, Battle Ground HealthCare, PeaceHealth, Area Agency on Aging & Disability of Southwest Washington, Molina Healthcare, Washington State Dept. of Social and Health Services, Free Clinic of Southwest Washington, Community Health Plan of Washington

Following a more than eight-month process, the seven NCMM-funded Design Challenge teams pitched their healthcare access mobility solutions on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018 in Washington, DC. These pitch sessions allow the teams to both celebrate their journeys and share their solutions that: are responsive to customers’ needs, can be financially viable, and have the partnerships and ability to be operationally feasible.

‣ Pioneer Valley, MA | RideCare Pioneer Valley
    Team: Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (Lead), Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, Baystate Health, Amherst College, Health New England, New North Citizens Council, Stavros, Greater Springfield Senior Services

The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, working with healthcare providers and other community stakeholders, designed RideCare-Pioneer Valley to help reduce the burden transportation can be to those trying to access healthcare. RideCare-PV would assist those who are routinely missing their appointments by assigning a case manager to help plan transportation to and from appointments.

・Video of the Pioneer Valley team’s in-person Business Pitch

・ Business Pitch Slides

‣ Colorado Springs, CO | Healthcare Transportation Portal
    Team: Envida (Lead), National Alliance on Mental Illness, AspenPointe, El Paso County Public Health, Coach Transportation, Laura Teachout (Patient Advocate)

Envida set out to ensure Medicaid patients have transportation to behavioral health and substance abuse treatment, particularly on short notice. Using new technology, Envida designed a system that creates an online healthcare transportation portal, a mobility healthcare manager, specially trained drivers, and low branded vehicles to effectively schedule trips to behavioral health and substance abuse treatments.

・Video of the Colorado Springs team’s in-person Business Pitch

・Business Pitch Slides

・Video used in the presentation

‣ Shiawassee County, MI | Shiawassee County Transportation Solution for Shiawassee Drug Court Participants
    Team: Shiawassee Area Transportation Agency (Lead), Shiawassee Hope, Alliance for a Drug-Free Shiawassee, Shiawassee County 35th     Circuit Court, Recovery Pathways, Catholic Charities

The Shiawassee Area Transportation Agency set out to reduce the burden transportation can bring to those enrolled in behavioral health services, Drug Court, and other substance abuse treatment services. SATA, working with local stakeholders, designed a system that includes a community hub as a place for Drug Court participants to access local services and supports while also creating a space for participants to access transportation services.

・Video of the Shiawassee County team’s Business Pitch

・Business Pitch Slides

‣ Pawnee, OK | Friends of Dialysis: Rural Oklahoma Design Access Solution
    Team: United Community Action Program (Lead), KI BOIS Community Action Foundation, Roger Bartlett (Rider/Client), Governor’s Oklahoma United We Ride Council, Grand Gateway Economic Development Association, Cleveland Area Hospital and Lake Area Medical Associates, Stigler Health & Wellness Center, Southeast Alliance Network

The United Community Action Program identified dialysis patients as a group that is often disadvantaged by a lack of transportation to treatment centers. Often not eligible for other services, and with many patients traveling 50 miles for care, the United Community Action Program designed a new non-profit to help schedule trips on eligible services, provide referrals, and create human connections throughout 40 rural counties in Oklahoma.

・Video of the Oklahoma team’s in-person Business Pitch

・Video used in presentation

‣ Rockingham County, VA | Valley Transportation (V-Tran)
    Team: Valley Program for Aging Services (Lead), Rena Mae Nadeau (Patient), Sentara East Rockingham Health Center, Rockingham County, James Madison University

The Valley Program for Aging Services (VPAS), through a community survey and other research, identified transportation as a difficulty for community members, especially after being discharged from the hospital. This increased the readmission rate and associated healthcare costs in Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County, Virginia. Working with healthcare providers, James Madison University, and other community stakeholders, VPAS designed a new community transportation program, V-TRAN, to consolidate existing transportation options into one place as well as provide new service to fill any gaps.

・Video of the Rockingham County team’s in-person Business Pitch

・Business Pitch Slides

・Video used in the presentation

‣ Tarrant County, TX | Ride Reminder
    Team: My Health, My Resources of Tarrant County (Lead), Charles Caldwell (Advocate), Challenge of Tarrant County, Tarrant County Public Health, Tarrant County Administrator’s Office, Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Mental Health Connection

My Health, My Resources (MHMR) learned transportation is a main barrier to the successful completion of their RISE program, an initiative to assist women who have experienced trauma in their past that led to their involvement in the criminal justice system lead healthy and safe lifestyles. MHMR designed an online system to remind and help route RISE program members to their weekly appointments and rewards users with a Lyft credit to use in situations where regular transit services do not meet their needs.

・Video of the Tarrant County team’s in-person Business Pitch

・Business Pitch Slides

‣ Clarksdale, MS | Ride 2 Recovery: Trendy Transit
    Team: Aaron E Henry Community Health Services Center (Lead), Bolivar County Council on Aging, Merit Health Northwest Mississippi, Errol Forte (Client), MDOT Public Transit Division, Mid-Delta Home Health, The Children’s Health Fund

Aaron E Henry Community Health Services saw access to affordable transportation options as a major barrier to healthcare access in rural Coahoma and Quitman Counties. Aaron E Henry Community Health Services designed a healthcare specialty transportation service for the region. Using a social worker to coordinate trips after discharge and to subsequent appointments, as well as pharmacies, will fill a needed gap in Northwest Mississippi.

・Video of the Clarksdale team’s in-person Business Pitch

・Business Pitch Slides

The Design Challenge 2015 grants were part of the Federal Transit Administration’s “Rides to Wellness” initiative, a key component of the agency’s Ladders of Opportunity program. Following a more than six-month process, the 16 NCMM-funded Design Challenge teams are pitching their healthcare access mobility solutions. Each team has followed a four-phase Design Thinking process — pursuing the first two phases during the application process, and the latter two phases during the grant process. These February pitch sessions allow the teams to both celebrate their journeys and share their solutions that: are responsive to customers’ needs, can be financially viable, and have the partnerships and ability to be operationally feasible.

View the recorded webinars of the pitches:
・February 5, 2016 – Jefferson City, MO; Wood and Sandusky Counties, OH, DeKalb County, ID, and Buffalo, NY
・February 12, 2016 – S. King County, WA; Birmingham, AL; Dekalb County, GA; and Reno, NV
・February 19, 2016 – Flint, MI; Des Moines, IA; and Whatcom County, WA
・February 26, 2016 – Worcester, MA; Waukesha, WI; Salem, IL; and Durham, NC

‣ DeKalb County, ID | Rides to Wellness: Coordinated Care Line
    Team: Valley Regional Transit (Lead), St. Luke’s Health System, COMPASS, Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Idaho State University – Meridian Health Science Center

Valley Regional Transit saw that only 32% of dialysis patients in their community were eligible for Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT). They designed a solution to fill gaps in the NEMT network by expanding the existing I-Care volunteer transportation program.

・Business Pitch Slides

‣ Jefferson City, MO | HealthTran
    Team: Community Asset Builders (Lead), Missouri Public Transit Association, Missouri Rural Health Association

Community Asset Builders noticed 20% of scheduled appointments in the Jefferson City, MO area were missed, at great cost to healthcare providers and patients. They designed a sustainable transportation coordination model for Missouri, that engages healthcare providers to develop a subscriber fee to pay for the new transportation services.

・Video – Missouri Rural Health Association: Creating Value Through Innovative Solutions

・Business Plan

・HealthTran Brochure

・Missouri Rides to Wellness Summit Report

・Article – Daily Yonder – “Medical Transportation Service Is a Lifesaver for Rural Missourians”

‣ Buffalo, NY | Go Buffalo Mom
    Team: United Way of Buffalo & Erie County (Lead), Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council, GObike Buffalo, Catholic Health     System, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, Catholic Charities WIC, Jericho Road Community Health Center, Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal     Network, Belmont Housing Resources for West NY

United Way of Buffalo & Erie County saw the difficulties expecting mothers in their community had in reaching their medical appointments. Designed to make traveling easier, the Go Buffalo Mom program provides personalized trip planning, information on travel options, and in-person meetings with a transportation options navigator to low income, pregnant women.

・Business Pitch Slides

・Business Pitch Summary

・About Go Buffalo Mom’s Transportation Options Navigator Program

・About Go Buffalo Mom’s Building Savings Behaviors Program

‣ Sandusky and Wood Counties, OH | S.C.O.R.E.
    Team: WSOS (Lead), Wood County Commission on Aging, DaVita, Crystal Walker (Caregiver)

WSOS saw reliable and affordable transportation to dialysis as crucial for Sandusky and Wood County residents to age in place. S.C.O.R.E. (Successfully Coordinating and Organizing to Revitalize and Enhance Dialysis Transportation), a volunteer driver system was devised to increase the availability of transportation options, with the volunteers being trained to transport medical patients to ensure the well-being of those involved.

・Business Pitch Slides

・Business Plan – Wood County Volunteer Driver Program: Phase 1

‣ S. King County, WA | Care Mobility Rewards Program
    Team: Hopelink

With over half of South King County’s low-income households not qualifying for non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) assistance, and many patients not driving, Hopelink needed to design an innovative solution to improve access to post-hospitalization care. They designed an incentivized healthcare transportation program that improves healthcare access for low-income, older adults.

・Business Pitch Slides

・Video used in presentation

‣ Flint, MI | Your Ride Plus
    Team: Mass Transportation Authority of Flint

The Mass Transportation Authority of Flint saw that behavioral health consumers may experience severe anxiety regarding their transportation needs, and with 90% of Medicaid-funded behavioral health consumers in Flint not having access to a car, a transportation solution was needed. The Flint MTA designed a person-centered trip planning and travel training system, dedicated staff to coordinate medical travel, new applications to improve customer experiences, and door-through-door service for customers requiring special care.

・Business Pitch Slides

‣ Whatcom County, WA | Whatcom Solutions!
    Team: Whatcom Transportation Authority (Lead), Christian Health Care Center, Elizabeth M Gross (Caregiver), Northwest Adult Day Health and Wellness Center

The Adult Day Health Center, previously located in a central location, was moving to a rural location 30 miles outside of town. The Whatcom Transportation Authority needed a plan to have families and paratransit services still serve the new location in an efficient manner. They designed a layover program, where Adult Day Health participants were brought to the premises of a local faith-based partner, where they then boarded a bus to make the journey to the new location together.

・Business Pitch Slides

・Opening and Closing videos

‣ Des Moines, IA | Stay Healthy! Ride with Us!
    Team: Mercy Medical Center (Lead), Michele Meadors (Advocate), Iowa DOT Office of Public Transit, Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority

The Mercy ACO saw that a lack of reliable transportation options was preventing patients from attending follow up appointments. Through research, the team learned that many staff and patients were unaware of the public transportation options available to them. They designed resource materials to highlight all of the transportation options available in Des Moines and neighboring counties so patients have easy to find information all in one place.

・Business Pitch Slides

‣ Rochester, NY | Defining Transportation Solutions for a Transformed Integrated Delivery System
    Team: Finger Lakes Performing Provider System (Lead), Oak Orchard Health, AARP, Medical Motor Service of Rochester and Monroe County,  The Arc of Schuyler, Monroe County EMS, Institute for Human Services, S2AY Rural Health Network, Southern Tier Regional EMS Council, Wayne County Dept. of Aging & Youth, Schuyler County Transit, Allegany Western Steuben Rural Health Network, RGRTA, Medical Answering Services, RTS Regional Manager, Hornell Area Transit, FLHSA, URMC

The FLPPS “Big Data” project aims to improve transportation from within the healthcare delivery system by recognizing access to transportation services as a key indicator of population health, susceptible to population health management approaches that determine high-value, sustainable services, which can then be included in payment bundles deployed through emerging value-based payment methodologies.

‣ Durham, NC | One Call One Click: GoHealth
    Lead agency: Project Access of Durham County

Project Access of Durham County recognized the high cost to both providers and patients of having to arrange for transportation in a complex landscape. They designed a One Call, One Click system that reduced hold times when scheduling rides, gave certainly to travelers, streamlined the process for conditional trip eligibility, and expanded reduced fare options.

・Business Pitch Slides

‣ Worcester, MA | Smart Transit for Health Care
    Team: Central Mass Regional Planning Commission (Lead), Clark University, The Family Health Center of Worcester

Central Mass Regional Planning saw a need for a one-call/one-click solution to medical appointment and transportation scheduling. They designed a system that allows a patient to call to schedule both their medical appointment and associated transportation if they need assistance, regardless of their transportation benefits or eligibility.

・Business Pitch Slides

‣ Reno, NV | The Village Concept
    Team: Sierra Nevada Transportation Coalition (Lead), Reno Center for Child & Adolescent Health, Seniors in Service, State of Nevada – Sierra     Regional Center, Northern Nevada Center for Independent Living, Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center, Connie McMullen (Advocate), Access To Healthcare Network, RSVP, Tahoe Transportation District,

The village concept, designed by the Sierra Nevada Transportation Coalition, will bring healthcare mobility and many other services to people throughout the Reno, NV area. Using time banking, they created a county-wide “village” called the Neighbor Network of Northern Nevada (N4) to bring people together through the exchanging of services.

・Business Pitch Slides

‣ Waukesha County, WI | Find-a-Ride Waukesha County!
    Team: Interfaith Senior Programs Waukesha (Lead), Alzheimer’s Association, Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, ProHealth Care, Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin – Community Memorial Hospital, ADRC Waukesha County, Waukesha County Department of Public Works, Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin & Upper Michigan, IMPACT

The Interfaith Senior Programs in Waukesha County, Wisconsin saw a need for a streamlined way of finding rides. They designed a one-call/one-click solution for seniors, people with disabilities, family caregivers, and professionals in the healthcare system. Using a central phone number and internet portal, information regarding transportation options is all in one place.

・Business Pitch Slides

‣ Salem, IL | Mobility Management Solutions to Reduce Re-Hospitalizations in the Southern Region of Illinois
    Team: South Central Illinois Regional Planning & Development Commission (Lead), MedTrans, Rural Medical Transportation Network – Center     for Rural Health & Social Service Development at Southern Illinois University, Shawnee Health Services, Tina Eggertsen (Citizen), Family Practice – So. Illinois Univ. School of Medicine, Multiple Sclerosis Society – Gateway Area, Egyptian Area Agency on Aging, Southern Illinois     Healthcare, Franklin Hospital

The South Central Illinois Regional Planning & Development Commission designed a plan to create a one-call system to set up transportation to and from healthcare appointments. With one phone call, a patient is able to communicate with a mobility specialist to choose the best transportation options available.

・Business Pitch Slides

‣ DeKalb County, GA | Meeting the Transportation Needs of Dialysis Patients
    Team: Atlanta Regional Commission (Lead), Common Courtesy, I CARE, DeKalb County Office of Senior Affairs, Fresenius Medical Care

The Atlanta Regional Commission designed a system of volunteer driving to transport patients to needed medical services. Transportation is provided directly to consumers free of charge via volunteer drivers, and revenue is captured through donations and grants.

・Business Pitch Slides

‣ Birmingham, AL | Design for Disability
    Team: Lakeshore Foundation (Lead), Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind – Birmingham Regional Center, Birmingham Jefferson Transit Authority, Children’s of Alabama, Clastran, Disability Leadership Coalition of Birmingham, Kid One Transport System, Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham

The Lakeshore Foundation and other community stakeholders saw transportation as a hurdle to improved healthcare outcomes. Design for Disability brought together many aspects of the community, from transportation schedules to land uses to create a more coordinated system that improves access to healthcare in Birmingham.

・Business Pitch Slides

・Video used in presentation