Flower Mound Town Council renews contract with SPAN, lowers fares for eligible riders

Flower Mound Town Council voted Aug. 22 to renew the town’s contract with SPAN Inc., a demand-response transit service.

The new contract will decrease passenger fares from $5 to $3 for a one-way trip. The new fare is in line with what SPAN charges seniors and special needs riders in rural Denton County, Coppell, The Colony and the Lake Cities, according to the agenda item.

The agenda item states cost has been the biggest complaint over the years, and the different rates have caused confusion and animosity with Flower Mound riders. Feedback from an annual survey conducted by SPAN indicated that riders were satisfied with the program but wanted lower fares and service on Saturdays.

SPAN Inc. provides transportation services for those age 65 or older as well as those who cannot drive due to a disability. Eligible riders are taken anywhere within the service areas of Lewisville, Flower Mound and Highland Village for the limited purposes of medical treatments, doctor and dentist appointments, shopping for necessities, travel to and from places of employment, support programs for adults with special needs and participation in the town’s Seniors In Motion senior citizen program.

Trips to the doctor or dentist’s office, hospital, drug store or other locations may qualify as a Medicaid-eligible trip, which are fully reimbursed by the federal government and are not charged to the rider or the town.

The council approved an amount not to exceed $53,611.20. Grant funds will provide additional funding in the amount of $36,720 over the fiscal year, which will allow SPAN to provide for an additional 100 one-way rides per month. Grant funds will be used first to pay for the one-way rides until exhausted.