Town of Fountain Hills officials are encouraging qualifying residents to climb on board and participate in the RideChoice program established by Valley Metro for the town.

The program opened for residents to sign up beginning July 1, and according to Give a Life Coordinator Heather Ware, only one or two so far have signed up.

“Residents who qualify get $75 monthly toward a transportation ‘debit’ card,” Ware said. “We have enough money for 40 people – only one or two are using it.”

Ware said they are making good use of the program for rides locally around town or to make connections to bus routes or Dial-A-Ride.

The program is open to those with qualifying disabilities and those who are age 65 and older. It is a voucher program that uses an electronic card to allow participants to use a taxi for rides.

The client will pay 25 percent of the cost with the town to subsidize 75 percent. The town has roughly $60,000 to use for the program in year one.

Valley Metro has capped participation at 40 people, which will be determined on a first come, first serve basis.

To participate, an individual must fill out a RideChoice application, which will be reviewed by Valley Metro staff to determine eligibility.

Those eligible will have their information forwarded to the RideChoice contractor who will set up an account for them.

The value of the RideChoice card is $100 per month. A customer will make payments of $25 per month, and the town will pay $75.

The limited funding is what caused the town and Valley Metro to impose the cap. Any more than 40 applications and there would be a waiting list set up for those wanting to use the service.

Valley Metro has nine cab companies listed as RideChoice providers. Once signed up with the program clients can simply call for a ride.

Those interested in signing up can find an application online at Valleymetro.org. The application can be submitted online or mailed or hand delivered to Valley Metro RideChoice, 4600 E. Washington St., Suite 101, Phoenix, AZ 85034.

There are several documents that may need to be copied for verification of eligibility for the program. Items needing verified include address, age and/or disability.

Additional information regarding documentation is available online.

Anyone with questions may contact Ware at 480-816-5108 or Grady Miller at 480-816-5125.