HIRTA recently announced that HIRTA Flex is currently operating in the city of Perry. Funding for this service is made possible by a grant from the Iowa DOT Special State Transit Assistance.
HIRTA Flex stops and schedule can be found at www.ridehirta.com/flex. This is different than HIRTA’s normal service. Riders can still call, email, or use the HIRTA On Demand app to book a ride, or with HIRTA Flex, they can use one of the designated stops in town to simply hop on the bus to get to a different stop. This service aims to enhance access to healthcare, employment, shopping, education and community services, such as the food pantry or financial assistance.
HIRTA is offering free rides for the Flex service for a year, for riders who complete a questionnaire about their current lifestyle activity which will be tracked at six and 12 months. The data on determining social determinates of health will help change the narrative about transportation and enhance funding applications and opportunities. If a rider wishes to participate in this questionnaire (available in both English and Spanish), they are given a pass to ride free for a year. Information on how to take the survey can be found on the website or by calling 1 (877) 686-0029.