Hunter
01/05/26
A program in effect since mid-December 2024 to provide rides to Johnson County residents when other forms of public transportation aren’t available may not last past its pilot phase.
The Gazette says the Trip Connect program is set to end its pilot phase on June 30th. In January, Trip Connect’s first full month, there were 180 completed rides. In October, the service saw its highest usage with 616 completed rides, before dropping back down to 544 in November.
The program has been funded through Johnson County, North Liberty, Kirkwood Community College, a National Center for Mobility Management grant, an Iowa Department of Transportation special projects grant, an Iowa DOT grant and passenger revenue.
Trip Connect is a part of the Cedar Rapids-based nonprofit Horizons, which has contracted with Johnson County to provide the service. It offers $2 curb-to-curb service rides from 5 p.m. to midnight on weekdays and Sundays. Trip Connect operates throughout the Iowa City metro area and northern parts of the county and is exclusively for rides to school, work or job training. The fleet consists of two vans, one of them wheelchair accessible.
Despite the popularity of the service, county staff have recommended the program cease at the end of the pilot period, citing its $700,000 cost. Johnson County Mobility Coordinator Kelly Schneider says the service cost so far in fiscal year 2026 is $69 per ride.
The final decision on whether to allocate funding for the program is up to the Board of Supervisors when it approves the Fiscal Year 2027 budget.
A link to the Gazette’s article is available below.