# Fayette County MATP: FACT, the County-Run Ride Service, and How Ride Companies Get Work

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/states/pennsylvania/fayette-county/ · Updated 2026-09-30

Fayette County MATP is run by the county itself through Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation (FACT), at 724-628-7433 or 800-321-7433 in Lemont Furnace. County drivers give free curb-to-curb rides to Medicaid riders who renew each year in person, with Pittsburgh medical runs on Wednesdays and Thursdays. FACT's standards provide for subcontractors, so ride companies should ask FACT and watch the county commissioners and bid postings.

- Fayette County is its own MATP provider: FACT, a county service, books the trips and county employees drive them.
- FACT carried 100,149 shared-ride trips in fiscal 2024-25 with 21 vehicles in peak service.
- Pittsburgh medical runs go only on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and returns end by 5 p.m.
- FACT's written standards hold any subcontractor to the same driver checks, training, and 93% on-time goal.
- The commissioners approved the county's MATP agreement with DHS on August 20, 2026.

## Fayette County NEMT at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Who runs MATP | Fayette County, through FACT (Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation), 825 Airport Road, Lemont Furnace 15456 |
| Phones | 724-628-7433 or toll free 800-321-7433, fax 724-628-7468. The office answers weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| State model | County sole service provider, per the June 25, 2026 state study: the county itself gives the rides |
| Who drives | County employees. Non-CDL bus drivers hired in August 2026 started at $17.45 an hour, CDL drivers at $18.70. |
| Shared-ride trips | 100,149 in fiscal 2024-25, per PennDOT, with 21 vehicles in peak service. MATP is not counted separately. |
| Pittsburgh trips | Wednesdays and Thursdays, leaving at 8 a.m. and returning at 3 p.m. |
| Booking | By 2 p.m. the business day before. No same-day trips except urgent care called in by the doctor or health plan. |
| Riders must | Live in Fayette County, hold an ACCESS card, and renew eligibility in person at the FACT office every year |
| Daily limits | Medical appointments by 3 p.m., and return trips set so riders are home by 5 p.m. |
| Mileage | 25 cents a mile plus parking and tolls on the state MATP site and in FACT's users guide. FACT's MATP page and the county page still show 12 cents. |

## Who arranges rides here

- [FACT (Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation)](https://factbus.com/shared-ride/medical-assistance/): The county's MATP provider: screens riders, books their trips, and drives them. (724) 628-7433
- [Fayette County Board of Commissioners](https://www.fayettecountypa.org/562/County-Commissioners): Governs FACT and votes on its MATP agreement, contracts, and hiring. (724) 430-1200
- [Fayette County bid postings](https://www.fayettecountypa.org/Bids.aspx): Posts county bids and sends text or email alerts when new ones open.
- UPMC Medical Transportation: Arranges wheelchair van and ambulance trips for UPMC for You members. (877) 521-7433

Fayette County does not hand its Medical Assistance rides to a transit authority or a broker. The county gives them itself through Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation (FACT), the county service that also runs Fayette's buses, and county employees drive the vans. So the two places that decide where Fayette County MATP work goes are FACT's office in Lemont Furnace and the Board of Commissioners in Uniontown.

## Who runs Fayette County MATP

Pennsylvania runs MATP county by county, and only Philadelphia uses a broker. The [Pennsylvania guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/pennsylvania/) covers the state rules, Public Utility Commission (PUC) authority, and insurance.

FACT began in 1996, when the commissioners endorsed the Fayette County Transit Study and charged the county's Office of Human and Community Services with carrying it out. It still reports to the commissioners, and its MATP items come to them under that office. On August 20, 2026 they voted unanimously to enter the county's agreement with the Department of Human Services (DHS) for MATP, with its conditions of funding and assurance of compliance. On June 18, 2026 they approved FACT's service contract with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging for fiscal 2026-27 and a $336,060 county match for FACT's state transit funds.

The state's June 25, 2026 [broker study](https://nemtguide.com/news/pennsylvania-matp-broker-study/) counts Fayette among eight "county sole service provider" programs. The county is the MATP transportation provider and oversees the program under DHS, county staff fill out an MATP time study, and DHS can claim their administrative costs. Fayette representatives also took part in the listening sessions DHS held for the study on March 24 and 27, 2026.

## FACT in numbers

PennDOT's report for fiscal 2024-25 (July 2024 to June 2025) profiles FACT:

| FACT, fiscal 2024-25 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Shared-ride trips | 100,149 |
| ADA complementary paratransit trips | 14,118 |
| Other shared-ride trips | 86,031 |
| Average shared-ride cost per trip | $30.04 |
| Average shared-ride fare | $22.08 |
| Vehicles in peak shared-ride service | 21 |
| Fleet | 30 paratransit vehicles and 11 buses |
| Employees | 42 full-time and 9 part-time, plus 3 full-time and 2 part-time contractor staff |

PennDOT's profile has no separate MATP line for FACT, unlike its profiles of the transit authorities in Westmoreland and Beaver counties.

The drivers are county staff in the SEIU unit. In August 2026 the commissioners ratified new full-time bus drivers without a commercial license at $17.45 an hour ($34,027.50 a year) and with one at $18.70 an hour. Those are the wages you compete with when you hire drivers in the county.

## How MATP rides work on FACT

A rider must live in Fayette County, hold a Medical Assistance ACCESS card, fill out FACT's eligibility form, and renew it in person at the FACT office every year. If FACT denies a ride request, it refers the rider to the County Assistance Office. The rules FACT and the county post, as of September 2026:

- **Service.** Free and [curb to curb](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/curb-to-curb/), and door to door for MATP riders when medically necessary. Drivers do not enter homes, help up steps, or act as personal care attendants.
- **Escorts.** FACT supplies none. Riders bring their own with a doctor's form, and a parent or guardian over 18 rides with a child under 16.
- **Booking.** By 2 p.m. the business day before. Same-day trips are only for urgent care, when the doctor or health plan calls or faxes with at least two hours' notice.
- **Daily limits.** Medical appointments should be no later than 3 p.m., drivers start return pickups by 3 p.m., and returns get riders home by 5 p.m.
- **Out of county.** Pittsburgh-area medical trips run on Wednesdays and Thursdays, leaving at 8 a.m. and returning at 3 p.m. There are also limited trips to approved facilities in Allegheny, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland counties, and to parts of Morgantown, West Virginia.
- **Ride time.** Up to 60 minutes for single trips and 120 minutes for group and out-of-county trips.
- **Vehicles.** Lifts vary by vehicle. FACT's users guide says the smallest takes an occupied chair up to 800 pounds, 30 inches wide and 48 long, and the largest up to 1,000 pounds, 33 by 53 inches. Oxygen users need a doctor's note that they can ride safely.
- **Cancelling.** At least two hours before the trip, or FACT may charge a no-show.
- **Holidays.** No trips on New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.

The county's MATP page says FACT may place a trip on a bus, public transit, another social service transportation provider, or a private car paid by the mile. The state's MATP site sets [mileage reimbursement](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/mileage-reimbursement/) at 25 cents a mile plus parking and tolls, and FACT's users guide says the same, but FACT's MATP page and the county's page still show 12 cents. On service days, the state's June 18, 2026 contact list shows weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., while FACT's MATP page lists Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., so confirm the mileage rate and weekend service with FACT before you plan around either.

## What FACT requires of any driver, a subcontractor's included

FACT's service standards, adopted on June 26, 2008 and still posted by the county, are written to cover subcontractors as well as county staff:

1. **Checks before the first trip.** A motor vehicle record check, a criminal record check, and a drug test under Federal Transit Administration protocol, to the standards in FACT's subcontracts.
2. **Training.** Defensive driving, passenger assistance, and sensitivity to riders with special needs, with formal training in each during a driver's first six months.
3. **On-time goal.** 93% for the system and for each subcontractor, and no shared-ride trip more than an hour late. When a pickup will be more than 15 minutes late, the driver tells dispatch, which calls the rider.
4. **Clean vehicles.** Outsides washed weekly, swept and emptied daily, and interiors cleaned monthly.
5. **Complaints.** A response within 48 hours, with the rider told within 5 business days.

The standards also cover the Pittsburgh run. Its 12-passenger bus has two wheelchair spaces, and once it fills, staff look for a bigger bus. When MATP riders need another bus or a special medical trip, FACT's operations and shared ride departments decide how to cover it.

## How a ride company gets Fayette County work

1. **Get PUC authority.** Any paid trip that starts and ends in Pennsylvania needs it. The [state guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/pennsylvania/) walks through the application and the $350 fee.
2. **Ask FACT what it places elsewhere.** Call 724-628-7433 and ask whether it subcontracts overflow, a second Pittsburgh vehicle, or trips it cannot cover. Show that your drivers already meet its checks and training. Our guide to [subcontracting NEMT trips](https://nemtguide.com/guides/subcontract-nemt-trips/) covers the terms to settle.
3. **Watch the county.** The commissioners hold voting meetings on the third Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. in the Gallatin Building, 2 West Main Street, Uniontown. The county's bid page had no open bids on September 30, 2026, but it sends text or email alerts when one opens.
4. **Cover what FACT does not.** Appointments after 3 p.m., returns after 5 p.m., Pittsburgh visits on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, the seven holidays, riders who need help past the curb ([door-through-door](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/door-through-door/) service), and mobility devices over FACT's lift limits all fall outside its shared ride. See [bariatric transportation](https://nemtguide.com/guides/bariatric-transportation/).
5. **Pick up the plan trips.** MATP does not pay for stretcher rides, so they go to the rider's HealthChoices plan. Fayette sits in the Southwest zone with AmeriHealth Caritas Pennsylvania, Geisinger, Jefferson Health Plans EverWell, Highmark Wholecare, and UPMC for You, and UPMC for You members' medically necessary wheelchair van and ambulance trips go through UPMC Medical Transportation at 1-877-521-7433, per its December 31, 2025 manual. See [UPMC for You](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/upmc-for-you-pennsylvania/).

Next door, Freedom Transit in [Washington County](https://nemtguide.com/states/pennsylvania/washington-county/) pays private contractors to drive its shared ride, including in the Mon Valley. GO Westmoreland in [Westmoreland County](https://nemtguide.com/states/pennsylvania/westmoreland-county/) drives its own, and [Greene County](https://nemtguide.com/states/pennsylvania/greene-county/) is also a county sole service provider in the state study.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the phone number for Fayette County MATP?

Call FACT at 724-628-7433, or toll free 1-800-321-7433, and TTY users can call 1-866-874-3972. The office answers Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and an answering service takes calls after hours. The main office is at 825 Airport Road in Lemont Furnace, and the Transit Center is at 111 Transit Drive in Uniontown.

### Does FACT take MATP riders to Pittsburgh?

Yes, on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The bus leaves at 8 a.m. and returns at 3 p.m. FACT also offers limited trips to approved medical facilities in Allegheny, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland counties, and into limited areas of Morgantown, West Virginia. Out-of-county and group trips can last up to 120 minutes.

### How far ahead must I book a FACT medical ride?

Call by 2 p.m. on the business day before. FACT's August 2024 policy lets riders book up to two weeks ahead, and seats fill fast. FACT does not book same-day trips, except urgent care when the rider's doctor or health plan calls or faxes FACT with at least two hours' notice.

### Does FACT provide escorts for MATP riders?

No. Riders bring their own escort, and the doctor fills out an escort form stating why one is needed. A parent or guardian over 18 must ride with a child under 16. FACT drivers do not enter homes, help riders up or down steps, or act as personal care attendants.

### How much does Fayette County MATP pay for mileage?

The state MATP site and FACT's users guide set 25 cents a mile plus parking and tolls with receipts, but FACT's MATP page and the county page still show 12 cents, so ask FACT which it pays. FACT needs a statement from the doctor with the provider number, the date of service, and the odometer readings. FACT's page asks for forms within 60 days and says processing takes about a month.

### Can a private NEMT company work with FACT?

FACT runs most trips with county staff, but its service standards cover subcontractors, and the county's MATP page says it may place a trip with another social service transportation provider. Get PUC authority, call FACT at 724-628-7433 to ask what it subcontracts, and sign up for the county's bid alerts.

## Official resources

- [FACT: Medical Assistance, with the MATP application, escort, and mileage forms](https://factbus.com/shared-ride/medical-assistance/)
- [Fayette County: FACT Service Standards](https://www.fayettecountypa.org/226/Service-Standards)
- [Fayette County: Bid postings and alerts](https://www.fayettecountypa.org/Bids.aspx)
- [Fayette County: Commissioners agendas and minutes](https://www.fayettecountypa.org/AgendaCenter)
- [Pennsylvania PUC: Motor carrier forms and applications](https://www.puc.pa.gov/motor-carrier/forms-applications/)