Metro Mobility: Our Regional Commitment

Person in a wheelchair leaving a Metro Mobility van with help from driver.
Metro Mobility is a civil right for
all eligible riders, defined in the
Americans with Disabilities Act.
Rider with a service dog.
Metro Mobility is a lifeline, helping
people get to jobs, medical
appointments and social events.
Two riders in wheelchairs.
Metro Mobility is in demand, growing
5 to 8% annually over the last five years.

 As demand grows, our focus stays on maintaining the service we have, meeting new riders’ needs, and delivering the quality service riders deserve. But Metro Mobility’s growth is consuming a larger and larger portion of our region’s transit budget. The governor’s proposal would move Metro Mobility to its own, separate budget that prioritizes service for people with disabilities.

Essential service

Metro Mobility is a shared-ride public transportation service for certified riders who are unable to use regular bus or train routes because of a disability or health condition. The service is on-demand and is mandated under the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as state law.

Icons of two people in wheelchairs and two people walking

Metro Mobility delivers.

  • 2018 ridership increased 6% over 2017 – Metro Mobility provided nearly 2.4 million trips last year

  • 2017 to 2018 improvements

    • On-time performance for pick-ups – 95.3% from 93.8%

    • On-time performance for appointments – 91.2% from 87%

    • On-board time less than maximum – 94.1% from 93.7%

    • Less than 1% of rides requested in 2018 were denied, reducing non-ADA trip denials by nearly 30% compared to 2017

   

Icons of people in a circle, with one person in the middle.

Metro Mobility matters.

  • 1 in every 11 residents reports having at least one disability.

  • Older residents are more likely to live with disabilities, and the number of seniors, age 65 and older, continues to balloon, growing from more than 280,000 in 2010 (11% of the population) to nearly 380,000 in 2017 (13.4% of the population).

  • Many communities with higher concentrations of people with disabilities are in region’s core where public transportation and services may be more accessible.
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Icon that shows a non-detailed map of the service area.

Metro Mobility serves.

  • 93 communities

  • 3 demand service areas with nearly 2 million rides a year

  • 1 agency service with over 300,000 rides each year for large day training and habilitation centers and adult day care programs

  • 26,000 people in the past year​
   

Service areas

The blue area in the map shows Metro Mobility’s weekday ADA service area. The gray area is the entire Metro Mobility service area, including the non-ADA portion.

Weekday ADA service area

  • Guaranteed trips

  • The area within 3/4 mile of all-day local regular route service

Metro Mobility service area

  • Standby trips

  • Trips that begin or end outside of the ADA service area, but within the Metro Mobility service area, will be placed on standby. This means that the trip is scheduled and confirmed only if it fits with other already scheduled trips.

Metro Mobility's trip providers, service areas, and hours

 

Service area map. For details, go to https://metrocouncil.org/Transportation/Services/Metro-Mobility-Home/Trip-Providers-Areas-Hours.aspx.

“In Minnesota weather, not only do you provide quality of life for those who use Metro Mobility but you save lives.”

– Metro Mobility Customer

“My mother-in-law is living in long-term care and thanks to your services she is able to come and visit us every weekend. The change in her demeanor has been nothing but miraculous now that she has a means of transportation.”

– Customer’s family member

“I am not a bus driver. I don’t provide rides. I provide independence, mobility, and dignity.”

– Metro Mobility Driver