Jesse Hill can’t drive because of a sight impairment, so he’s long relied on family members to get around his Montbello neighborhood.
But now an easy ride is an app request or phone call away. When a van from the Denver Connector, an on-demand microtransit service, pulled up in front of Hill’s house on a recent Friday morning, he greeted driver Deloris Jones: “Hey hey! How are you doing today?” She whisked him to Planet Fitness for a workout, free of charge.
“I just started using it — my daughter turned me on to it,” said Hill, 56, during the six-minute ride. “It’s pretty convenient. I just go the gym (so far). It’s quick and easy … and the drivers make you feel comfortable.”
Denver’s transportation department launched the point-to-point weekday service in mid-October 2021. City officials’ initial hope was simple: to bridge transit gaps within an outlying part of the city where homes on winding streets are a good trek from grocery stores, community centers, rail stations and other vital services.