# Harris County RIDES Program (2027): How Ride Companies Win the County Contract and Get Paid

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/states/texas/harris-county/ · Updated 2026-10-02

The Harris County RIDES program is a county ride subsidy for residents 65 and older and people with disabilities. Riders or their sponsoring agencies pay 40% of each trip and federal grants pay 60%. The county owns no vehicles: it buys trips from private shared ride and taxi companies chosen by request for proposals, and both current RIDES contracts run through August 22, 2027.

- RIDES buys every trip from private companies under county contracts, and the county sets the price of each shared ride by distance.
- Both RIDES ride contracts used their last renewal option in September 2026 and run through August 22, 2027.
- New companies get in only by winning a Harris County request for proposals, so register with the Purchasing Department before the next one opens.
- Riders pay with a county RIDES card scanned at pickup and drop-off, and that scan is the trip record.
- Medicaid rides in Houston come from the health plans and their ride vendors, not from RIDES.

## Harris County NEMT at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Who runs it | Harris County Housing and Community Development Department, Office of Transit Services, 8410 Lantern Point Drive, Houston, 713-368-RIDE (7433) |
| Who rides | Harris County residents 65 or older, or with a disability, who cannot use METRO or have no other way to travel. Riders register directly or through one sponsoring agency. |
| Who pays | The rider or sponsoring agency pays 40% of each trip, and federal grant funds pay 60%, loaded together on the rider's RIDES card. |
| Shared ride prices | Set by mileage: $6 for 0 to 3 miles, rising in $6 steps to $42 for 20 miles or more within Harris County |
| Taxi trips | Metered, same day, 24 hours a day. In the county's 2026 Pearland agreement, the RIDES card covers at most $48 of a one-way taxi trip. |
| Current contracts | Job 210385 (zTrip, A New Haven Transportation) and Job 240240 (Rubicund, Anchoring Hopes, Rids Brother), $2,550,000 each, both through August 22, 2027 |
| How companies are picked | Requests for proposals through Harris County Purchasing, evaluated by a committee and approved by Commissioners Court. Five proposals came in for each of the last two. |
| Federal money | A $2,530,000 Federal Transit Administration Section 5310 grant for 2022, accepted July 15, 2024, for use through December 31, 2027 |
| How trips are recorded | The driver scans the rider's RIDES card QR code at pickup, to check the balance, and at drop-off, to deduct the fare. |
| Medicaid rides | Not part of RIDES. Five STAR health plans serve the Harris area, and each sends rides through MTM Health or SafeRide Health. |

## Who arranges rides here

- [Harris County RIDES, Office of Transit Services](https://rides.harriscountytx.gov/): Runs RIDES, registers riders and agencies, and manages the ride company contracts. (713) 368-7433
- [Harris County Purchasing Department](https://purchasing.harriscountytx.gov/): Posts the requests for proposals that pick RIDES ride companies. (713) 274-4400
- [MTM Health](https://www.mtm-inc.net/driverswanted/): Arranges Medicaid rides for Community Health Choice and Wellpoint members.
- [SafeRide Health](https://www.saferidehealth.com/what-to-expect-nemt-provider): Arranges Medicaid rides for Molina, Texas Children's, and UnitedHealthcare members.

Harris County runs its own ride program for older adults and people with disabilities, and it pays private companies to drive every trip. RIDES, run by the county's Housing and Community Development Department, began in October 2003 to fill gaps in METRO and METROlift service across the county's 1,772 square miles. It owns no vehicles, so contracted shared ride and taxi companies drive its trips, joined in 2025 by a national rideshare company for same-day rides.

## How the RIDES program works

A Harris County resident qualifies at 65 or older, or with a disability shown by an SSI award letter or a doctor's letter, when METRO is out of reach or there is no other way to travel. Riders enroll directly or through one sponsoring agency. The county lists more than 40 health and human service agencies that work with it, including the Area Agency on Aging, Harris Health, and the cities of Baytown and Pasadena.

The money works like a matched fare card. The rider or the agency pays 40% of the trip, and federal grant funds pay the other 60%, so each $6 loaded on a RIDES card buys $15 of rides. Value on the card expires with the grant that funded it. On July 15, 2024, Commissioners Court accepted a $2,530,000 Federal Transit Administration Section 5310 grant for 2022 to keep RIDES running, for use through December 31, 2027. See [Section 5310 grants](https://nemtguide.com/guides/section-5310-grants/) for how that money reaches ride companies.

Riders choose among three kinds of service:

- **Shared rides.** Booked by phone with the rider's chosen company by 2 p.m. the day before, for trips Monday through Friday. Riders share the van, ride no more than 90 minutes in normal conditions, and may bring one adult companion.
- **Taxi.** Same day, 24 hours a day, paid by the meter. Up to four people with the same pickup and drop-off ride for one fare. On Harris County holidays, taxis are the only RIDES service.
- **Rideshare vouchers.** Since 2025, riders who sign the county's opt-in agreement can take same-day rideshare trips within the service area.

RIDES also sells its service to neighbors. Under interlocal agreements, Galveston's Island Transit pays the county up to $400,000 from May 25, 2026 to May 24, 2027, Gulf Coast Transit District $72,000 for trips in Pearland from August 23, 2026, and Meals on Wheels Montgomery County $200,000 from December 19, 2026. The Galveston and Pearland agreements use the county's contracted taxi company for those trips.

## The county contracts behind RIDES

Harris County Purchasing picks RIDES companies by request for proposals, an evaluation committee scores them, and Commissioners Court approves the awards. As of October 2026, three county contracts buy rides through the Office of Transit Services:

| Contract | What it buys | Held by | Runs through |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job 210385 | Supplemental rides for RIDES, the Medical Transportation Program, and ADA paratransit | zTrip and A New Haven Transportation | August 22, 2027, last renewal |
| Job 240240 | Non-metered shared rides for RIDES and non-emergency medical programs | Rubicund, Anchoring Hopes, and Rids Brother | August 22, 2027, last renewal |
| Job 220278 | Fixed route, paratransit, on-demand, and non-emergency medical transit service | zTrip and ECHO AFC Transportation | October 15, 2027, one renewal left |

Job 210385 was advertised in November 2021 and drew five proposals by December 6, 2021. In August 2022 the court awarded contracts to five companies for a first year with four one-year renewals. By January 2024, Galveston Yellowcab and Pasadena Taxi had assigned their contracts to zTrip, and the county had ended Quick Safe Transportation's contract effective January 5, 2024. The RIDES reservation page now lists zTrip as its one taxi provider. On September 17, 2026, the court ratified the fourth and final renewal for zTrip and A New Haven Transportation through August 22, 2027, at $2,550,000 for the two together.

Job 240240 covers the non-metered shared ride side. It drew five proposals by October 7, 2024, and in February 2025 the court picked three companies for a first term with two one-year renewals. Its second and last renewal, also ratified on September 17, 2026, ends August 22, 2027 at $2,550,000.

Job 220278 is separate from RIDES: it buys the department's own fixed route, paratransit, on-demand, and non-emergency medical transit service. Its July 2026 renewal, option 2 of 3, runs from October 16, 2026 to October 15, 2027 at a cost of $1,400,000 for zTrip and $4,400,000 for ECHO AFC Transportation.

## What RIDES pays for a trip

The county, not the company, sets the price of a shared ride, by distance from pickup to drop-off. The rate chart in effect in October 2026:

| Miles | Trip price | Rider pays | Subsidy pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 3 | $6 | $2.40 | $3.60 |
| 4 to 6 | $12 | $4.80 | $7.20 |
| 7 to 9 | $18 | $7.20 | $10.80 |
| 10 to 12 | $24 | $9.60 | $14.40 |
| 13 to 15 | $30 | $12.00 | $18.00 |
| 16 to 19 | $36 | $14.40 | $21.60 |
| 20 or more, in Harris County | $42 | $16.80 | $25.20 |

A return trip is a second one-way fare. Taxi trips are paid by the meter. In the county's 2026 agreement with Gulf Coast Transit District, the RIDES card covers at most $48 of a one-way taxi trip, and the rider pays the driver anything above that. For comparison with your own costs, a National Aging and Disability Transportation Center profile of RIDES reported 84,320 one-way trips in 2019, at an operating cost of $20.66 per shared ride and $30.93 per taxi trip. The same profile says the county sets standard prices, so it picks companies on their ability to provide the service.

## How trips are booked, recorded, and paid

Riders book directly with the company they choose. The rider calls, says they are a RIDES customer, gives the addresses and appointment time, and asks for a wheelchair van, a companion seat, or room for a service animal. RIDES tells riders its lifts carry up to 660 pounds, chair and rider together, and chairs up to 48 inches long and 30 inches wide, so match your lift to that. Drivers may help with packages under 20 pounds.

The RIDES card is the trip record. The driver scans its QR code when the rider boards, which shows whether the card holds enough for the fare, and again at drop-off, which deducts the fare. Shared ride companies take only the card, while taxis may take the card plus cash. The center's profile adds that the cards log GPS trip data, start and end points, miles, and cost, which feed the billing reports.

The rules your dispatchers work to:

- **Pickup window.** A rider who does not board within 5 minutes of a van arriving inside the window is a no-show.
- **Late cancellations.** A cancellation after 5 p.m. the day before and up to two hours ahead is a late cancellation, and cancellations closer than two hours count as no-shows.
- **Changes.** Riders change shared ride times at least 4 hours ahead, and a same-day change may not fit if the van is full.

## How to compete for the next RIDES contract

Both RIDES contracts have used every renewal the court approved when it awarded them. To be ready when the county asks for proposals again:

1. **Register as a county supplier.** The Purchasing Department posts bids and proposals on its online portal, and registration is free. Registered suppliers get email notice of new projects that match the commodity codes they pick, so choose the transportation service codes.
2. **Clear your county taxes.** In 2022, a taxi company that owed Harris County taxes when proposals arrived needed a court waiver to win its contract.
3. **Plan for federal paperwork.** RIDES runs on Federal Transit Administration money, and the center's profile found that small shared ride companies could drive the trips but struggled with federal program paperwork and reporting.
4. **Watch Commissioners Court.** The court consented to the last two RIDES requests for proposals on November 9, 2021 and September 19, 2024, and proposals came in within weeks, on December 6, 2021 and October 7, 2024. Other departments buy rides too: on October 16, 2025 the court consented to a request for proposals for rideshare and non-emergency medical transportation for Harris County Public Health (Job 250209).

See [government NEMT contracts](https://nemtguide.com/guides/government-nemt-contracts/) for how county proposals are scored and won.

## Medicaid rides in Harris County

Medicaid rides do not run through RIDES. As of September 2026, the five STAR plans in the Harris service area, Community Health Choice, Molina, Texas Children's, UnitedHealthcare, and Wellpoint, send rides through [MTM Health](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/mtm-health/texas/) or [SafeRide Health](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/saferide-health/texas/); the [Texas guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/texas/) covers Medicaid enrollment and the [Texas Children's Health Plan](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/texas-childrens-health-plan/) and [UnitedHealthcare Community Plan](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/unitedhealthcare-community-plan-texas/) pages cover two of those plans.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I become a Harris County RIDES provider?

Win a contract through a Harris County Purchasing request for proposals. The county picks RIDES companies by proposal, an evaluation committee scores them, and Commissioners Court approves the award. The current shared ride contract, Job 240240, and the supplemental contract, Job 210385, both run through August 22, 2027 with no renewals left. Registering as a county supplier is free.

### How much does Harris County RIDES pay per trip?

For shared rides, the county sets the trip price by distance. As of October 2026, a trip of 0 to 3 miles costs $6 and the price rises $6 per mileage band to $42 for 20 miles or more inside Harris County. The rider or agency pays 40% and the county subsidy pays 60%. Taxi trips are paid by the meter.

### Who qualifies for Harris County RIDES?

Harris County residents who are 65 or older, with proof of age, or who have a disability, shown by an SSI award letter or a physician's letter. They must be unable to use METRO or have no other transportation. Riders register directly with RIDES at 713-368-7433 or through one sponsoring agency, never more than one.

### When will Harris County RIDES take new ride companies?

Only through a new request for proposals. Job 210385 was awarded in 2022 with four one-year renewals, and Job 240240 in 2025 with two. On September 17, 2026, Commissioners Court ratified the last renewal of each, so both end August 22, 2027 unless the county acts again. Watch the Purchasing Department's bid listings.

### Does Harris County RIDES pay for Medicaid rides?

No. RIDES is a county subsidy funded by federal transit grants and rider and agency payments. Most Houston Medicaid members get rides through their health plan, and as of September 2026 the five STAR plans in the Harris area use MTM Health or SafeRide Health. Those vendors contract with ride companies separately.

### How are RIDES trips recorded and paid?

Each rider carries a RIDES card. The driver scans its QR code when the rider boards, which shows whether the card holds enough for the fare, and again at drop-off, which deducts the fare. Shared ride companies take only the card. Taxis may take the card plus cash. Drivers do not expect tips.

## Official resources

- [Harris County RIDES](https://rides.harriscountytx.gov/)
- [Harris County RIDES: Rate chart](https://rides.harriscountytx.gov/How-to-Ride/Rate-Chart)
- [Harris County Purchasing: Online solicitation opportunities](https://purchasing.harriscountytx.gov/Services/Online-Solicitation-Opportunities)
- [Harris County Commissioners Court agendas and contract items](https://harriscountytx.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx)
- [Texas HHSC: Which ride vendor each health plan uses](https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicaid-chip/medicaid-chip-members/nonemergency-medical-transportation-program/health-plan-transportation-contact-information)