For small and mid-sized cities and towns located in Weld County, offering a municipal transit service was once a cost prohibitive proposition.

“When you are a small rural town, you do not have the discretionary funds to pay for such services on your own,” said Town of Milliken Administrator Cheryl Powell.

Weld County, similarly, did not offer a county-wide transit provider until recently. But this changed when the county was awarded grant funding through Colorado Department of Transportation Multimodal Transportation and Mitigation Options Fund (MMOF) in 2023 to help finance county-wide paratransit service. Paratransit generally includes on-demand transit services for senior citizens and individuals living with disabilities.

MMOF, which was created by the State of Colorado in 2018 to help fund multimodal accessibility and safety improvements for local transit, focuses on improving transportation systems for rural areas, senior citizens, and people living with disabilities. Weld County met all three parameters.

The county decided to use the grant funding to partner with Via Mobility Services, a nonprofit transportation provider based in Boulder, that strives to “empower people with limited mobility by offering comprehensive transportation solutions.”

Intergovernmental collaboration

To ensure the future sustainability of the program, Weld County knew it needed reliable, ongoing funding from other local governments across the region. The county approached 14 different municipalities within county limits, asking them to pitch in on an annual basis.

Eleven municipalities, including Ault, Fort Lupton, Gilcrest, Hudson, Johnstown, Johnstown, Keenesburg, Kersey, La Salle, Milliken, Nunn, and Platteville, happily signed onto cost sharing agreements with Weld County within the first year of the program’s operation.

“There are only a few residents of Gilcrest that need and use this kind of service,” said Town of Gilcrest Administrator Dan Dean. “It would be cost prohibitive for us to provide it on our own.”

Collaboration with local governments is also an important part of Via Mobility’s sustainability model. The nonprofit often works with local governments and transportation districts to enhance the effectiveness of public transit across the Front Range.

The Impact

Launched in August of 2023, Weld County’s Via Mobility paratransit service operates Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., on a first come, first served basis. The service is free and available to Weld County residents who are unable to drive or are 60 years or older.

Via Mobility offers door-to-door services, meaning drivers will help participants exit the bus and get to their door safely. If a ride is not available through Via Mobility, Weld County will provide mileage reimbursement for family and friends who provide a ride for qualifying individuals. Via Mobility will also take participants to areas outside of Weld County, including Boulder, Broomfield, and Adams Counties, as well as Cheyenne, Wyo.

“This program has helped Johnstown meet critical needs for our older adult community, who without this transit partnership, would be presented with both logistical and financial challenges to get to and from their desired destinations,” said Town of Johnstown Administrator Matt LeCerf. “I firmly believe the partnership has helped to distribute the costs, making the service financially viable for a larger population.”

“By partnering with many of our communities, we can provide this valuable service which allows residents to easily schedule trips throughout Northern Colorado. This allows our residents to age in place and still have access to the destinations that they need to go to, utilizing a wheelchair accessible vehicle,” said Weld County Transportation Planner Evan Pinkham.