RTD FlexRide Announces New MaaS Partnership, Denver, Colorado, February 2021

The Regional Transportation District (RTD), the transit agency for the Denver metropolitan area, has released a new smartphone app for its demand-respond transit (DRT) service, FlexRide, in partnership with DemandTrans and Kyyti Group.

With the new FlexRide app, reservations can be made with as little as ten minutes’ notice; prior to this development, reservations had to be made at least an hour ahead of time. This change in policy and in the smartphone app helps FlexRide to mimic the service of ride hailing companies like Lyft or Uber. Other features in the app include:

1. An integrated route planner that provides navigation steps and real-time information on RTD buses and trains.
2. Users can request FlexRides based on GPS detection, entering pick-up and drop-off locations through the search feature on the map, or zooming to a location on the map.
3. If outside of any of the FlexRide service areas, users can access information about other transportation options like transit routes, taxis, and transportation network companies.
4. In the future, FlexRIde customers will have mobile ticketing options available to them.

FlexRide operates a fleet of 42 vehicles providing first-mile and last-mile connections to transit routes and other destinations across 22 service areas. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, FlexRide had an average of 1,900 weekday boardings. Fares amount to $3 one-way, with discounted fares of $1.50 and $0.90 for older adults and youth, respectively.

This new app is part of the larger mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) trend, as transit agencies expand their services and integrate new technologies in an effort to improve customer experiences.

Last updated March 5, 2021