What is Ride Longmont: How Longmont’s Microtransit Service Works & What It Costs
Ride Longmont is Longmont’s app-based microtransit service, connecting residents to groceries, medical appointments, jobs, and everyday destinations across the city for as little as $1 a ride. Since launching in late 2024, it has grown steadily into one of the most-used and most-valued transportation options in the community.
The service is run by Via Transportation on behalf of the City of Longmont, with booking available through a smartphone app or by phone in both English and Spanish. Rides average about four miles and 13 minutes — short enough to be convenient, and long enough to cover the trips that are too far to walk.
At a May 6 meeting of Longmont’s Senior Citizens Advisory Board, city transportation staff presented a detailed update on ridership, demographics, funding, and planned expansion. What that data showed was a service that has clearly proven its value — and is now running up against the limits of its current budget and fleet.
Ride Longmont Ridership: 7,000 Trips a Month and Still Growing
In the first quarter of 2026, Ride Longmont completed more than 21,000 rides — 21,056 to be exact. Monthly ridership has climbed to roughly 7,000 rides per month, up from about 5,000 to 6,000 per month in 2025.
That is not a small jump. It is a sign that the service has moved past the early-adopter phase and become part of daily life for a meaningful share of Longmont residents.
On a typical day, Ride Longmont now handles about 250 to 300 trips. In early April, it hit a new single-day record of around 310 rides. For a fleet that currently runs six active vehicles plus one emergency spare, that represents consistent, high-utilization operations.
The demand picture is even sharper when you look at the raw request numbers. During the first quarter, the service received 34,106 ride requests. It was able to fill 28,552 of those — a net demand rate of 83.3 percent. In practical terms, the system could offer a ride for roughly four out of every five requests.
The completed ride total came in at 21,056, producing a completed ride rate of 61.7 percent. That lower figure is not purely a capacity problem. In some cases, a rider sees a wait time that no longer works for their schedule and cancels. That is the difference between a ride being available and a ride actually happening — and it is an important distinction.
What the data tells planners is that even when the service can technically offer a ride, longer waits reduce the number of people who follow through. That makes wait times a quality-of-service issue, not just a scheduling footnote.
Repeat Riders, New Accounts, and What the Survey Numbers Show
One of the strongest indicators of a useful service is repeat use. By that measure, Ride Longmont is delivering.
In the first quarter of 2026, more than 1,000 new accounts were created. Of the 2,668 riders who made at least one booking request during that period, 705 completed five or more bookings. That level of repeat use points to habit — people who found the service useful and kept coming back.
The rider survey conducted by Via Transportation, the company that operates Ride Longmont on the city’s behalf, filled in the rest of the picture. Among the survey’s 150 respondents:
- 48 percent said Ride Longmont is their primary mode of transportation.
- 44 percent said they have access to a personal car but still choose to use Ride Longmont.
- 91 percent agreed that having access to the service makes Longmont a more desirable place to live.
- 93 percent said they would be disappointed if they could no longer use the service.
Where Can You Go With Ride Longmont?
The average Ride Longmont trip covers about four miles and takes about 13 minutes. That four-mile sweet spot matters more than it might seem. It is too far for most people to walk comfortably, inconvenient to bike in poor weather or with limited mobility, and often not worth the hassle of parking — but it is close enough that the service can handle it quickly and efficiently.
Heat map data on top destinations showed what places most rides visit: grocery stores and commercial centers, medical offices, downtown and Main Street destinations, and workplaces.
That last category — employment — is easy to overlook. Because destination data cannot always tell the difference between a customer and an employee, some of those trips to retail and commercial areas likely reflect people getting to jobs, not just running errands. Ride Longmont is serving a broad cross-section of the community.
In Their Own Words: What Longmont Riders Say About Ride Longmont
Survey data is useful, but the individual comments from riders said things that statistics cannot.
One senior described using Ride Longmont multiple times a week to get to the gym, the Senior Center, and downtown. They called it invaluable and said it helps keep them mobile. That phrase — “it keeps me mobile” — captures something essential about why transportation matters for older adults in ways that go beyond getting from point A to point B. Mobility means independence. It means staying connected to the routines and places that make daily life feel normal.
Another rider described the service easing their worries about getting to work and making daily life easier compared to waiting outside in cold or bad weather for a bus. Others were more direct: they do not own a car, and Ride Longmont is the option that makes everything else possible.
How Much Does Ride Longmont Cost Per Ride?
Ride Longmont’s pricing remains one of its clearest competitive advantages.
The standard fare is $2 per person per ride. For seniors, students, and people with disabilities, that drops to $1. For comparison, a typical Uber or Lyft trip in Longmont would cost several times that amount.
For residents on fixed incomes, low-income households, or people without car access, that difference is not marginal. It is the difference between being able to get somewhere and staying home. The rider survey reflected that reality — many respondents were low income, and many specifically cited cost as a reason the service works for them.
That affordability also means Ride Longmont is functioning as part of Longmont’s broader access and equity strategy, even if it is primarily categorized as a transportation service.
Is Ride Longmont the Same as Paratransit?
City staff were careful to note during the meeting that Ride Longmont, for all its value, is not a universal transportation solution.
Specifically, it is not paratransit.
Ride Longmont includes wheelchair-accessible vehicles and serves many seniors and residents with disabilities. But for riders who require a transportation service designed specifically for significant mobility limitations, options like RTD Access-a-Ride or other dedicated paratransit services may be a better fit.
Ride Longmont Funding Sources and the Operating Cost Gap
For all the strong numbers, the main obstacle facing Ride Longmont is not operational. It is financial. Monthly operating costs for the service run between $110,000 and $130,000. Monthly fare revenue comes in around $8,000 to $9,000. That means fares cover only a small fraction of what it costs to run the service — a reality that is common for public and microtransit services, but one that underscores how dependent Ride Longmont is on grants and external funding.
The city laid out its current grant structure clearly:
- Just over $1 million from the first round of the RTD Partnership Program, covering 2024 through 2026.
- $1 million in congressionally designated spending secured through Representative Joe Neguse’s office, covering 2026 and 2027.
- $1.4 million from the second round of the RTD Partnership Program, covering 2026 through 2028.
That brings total grant funding to a little over $3.5 million across roughly four years.
The city has applied for a third round of RTD partnership funding, requesting the maximum award of $1.8 million. Staff said they are confident some funding will come through, though whether the full amount will be awarded is less certain.
Will Ride Longmont Add More Vehicles or Longer Hours?
If the new RTD funding comes through at a high amount, the city hopes to use it to make two meaningful changes: extend Friday and Saturday service hours from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and add two vehicles to the current six-vehicle fleet.
According to Via Transportation, those additions would help absorb current demand and bring wait times down. Staff acknowledged the obvious corollary: if service gets better, demand will likely increase again. That is what happens when a public service actually works. But based on current patterns, the city expressed confidence that the requested funding would produce a noticeable improvement in the rider experience.
The active fleet logged 56,485 miles traveled with riders on board during the first quarter alone. Adding vehicles is not a wish-list item. Because the service that is already running at full capacity, it is the logical next step in maintaining the value to residents.
Ride Longmont Ridership by Age, Disability Status, and Neighborhood
The city is also paying attention to whether Ride Longmont is reaching the full range of residents who could benefit from it.
Seniors currently account for about 11 percent of Ride Longmont trips, while seniors make up roughly 19 percent of Longmont’s population. Staff noted that not every senior is a likely candidate for the service — particularly those who need paratransit-level assistance — but the gap does suggest room for additional outreach to older adults.
People with disabilities account for 9 percent of trips and roughly 8 percent of the city’s population, a close match. Youth account for about 8 percent of trips compared to around 10 percent of the population, also fairly close.
Usage by race and ethnicity appears to track reasonably well with citywide population data. One board member raised the question of whether Longmont’s Hispanic and Latino community is using the service as fully as it could. Staff welcomed ideas for more targeted outreach through trusted community partners, including clinics and local organizations.
Geographically, usage is spread across the city, but activity is somewhat lower in certain western and southern areas, including single-family residential neighborhoods near Twin Peaks Golf Course, areas east of Longmont Reservoir, and the Prospect area. Those neighborhoods are not service gaps in a strict sense, but they are places where awareness or habit may lag behind the rest of the city.
How Longmont Is Reaching Residents About Ride Longmont
The city has already done significant work getting the word out about Ride Longmont. Past outreach has included posters and pamphlets at city facilities; materials distributed to the Senior Center, library, rec center, and youth center; coordination with partners including Mobility for All, Rainbow Elders, St. Vrain Valley School District, and the OUR Center; distribution to affordable housing sites and food pantries; in-person help for older adults learning to use the app; and social media campaigns.
The service is also bilingual, with a Spanish-capable app interface and multilingual live booking support available by phone.
Going forward, the city is shifting toward more targeted outreach — focusing on the specific areas and populations where awareness still lags. The goal is not just more outreach, but smarter outreach that meets people where they are and addresses the different barriers different residents face, whether that is language, technology access, or simply not knowing the service exists.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ride Longmont
How much does Ride Longmont cost?
The standard fare is $2 per person per ride. Seniors, students, and people with disabilities pay $1 per ride. Fares are paid through the app or by phone when booking.
Is Ride Longmont available for seniors in Longmont?
Yes. Ride Longmont is available to all Longmont residents, and seniors receive a discounted fare of $1 per ride. The service includes wheelchair-accessible vehicles, though riders with more significant mobility needs may be better served by dedicated paratransit options like RTD Access-a-Ride.
Why can’t I always get a Ride Longmont when I request one?
At busy times, demand exceeds the number of available vehicles, so not every request can be filled immediately. The service fulfilled about 83 percent of ride requests in early 2026. Longer wait times can also lead some riders to cancel, which accounts for a portion of unfilled trips.
Does Ride Longmont have wheelchair accessible vehicles?
Yes. The Ride Longmont fleet includes wheelchair-accessible vehicles. However, the service is not a replacement for paratransit — riders who require specialized mobility assistance may need a dedicated service like RTD Access-a-Ride instead.
What hours does Ride Longmont operate?
The city is currently working to extend Friday and Saturday service hours to 10 p.m., pending new RTD funding. Current hours are available through the Ride Longmont app or by calling the booking line.
How do I book a ride with Ride Longmont in Longmont CO?
Rides can be booked through the Ride Longmont app or by phone. The app and phone support are available in both English and Spanish.
Is Ride Longmont cheaper than Uber or Lyft in Longmont?
Yes, significantly. At $1–$2 per ride, Ride Longmont costs far less than a typical Uber or Lyft trip in Longmont, making it one of the most affordable transportation options in the city, especially for seniors and low-income riders.
What neighborhoods does Ride Longmont serve?
Ride Longmont operates across Longmont, with trips averaging about 4 miles. Usage is citywide, though ridership is somewhat lower in certain western and southern areas. The service connects riders to grocery stores, medical offices, downtown destinations, and workplaces throughout the city.
