Study reveals widespread gaps in services across rural areas
Pinal County’s sprawling geography and limited transportation options are creating significant challenges for seniors and people with disabilities who rely on public transit, according to a comprehensive study presented to county supervisors this week.
The Pinal County Coordinated Mobility Gap Analysis, conducted by consulting firm AECOM and funded by the Arizona Department of Transportation through Central Arizona Governments, found that current on-demand transit services fall far short of meeting residents’ needs across the county’s sprawling geography.
“We’re just such a spread out county with such spread out communities, it’s so difficult,” said Supervisor Jeff Serdy during the September 10 board meeting. “There’s been a lot of people working on this and there’s just never any easy answers.”
Chairman Stephen Miller identified another timing challenge affecting workers in manufacturing jobs. “There’s a need for people that could use that ride in the manufacturing… You know, they go to work at 3:00. Well, you can get them there, but there’s no way to pick them up to bring them home at 11:00 type of thing,” he said.
The study identified several critical gaps in the county’s transportation network. Most concerning is that services are generally limited to weekdays between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, with little to no weekend coverage. This creates problems for residents who need evening medical appointments, late-shift workers, and those requiring weekend trips for groceries or prescription pickups.
Rural Areas Hit Hardest
The analysis found that eastern and northern communities face the most severe service limitations. Vice-Chairman Jeff McClure, whose district includes much of the eastern region, highlighted the real-world impact of these gaps.
Where Services Exist and Where They’re Needed
The study mapped existing transportation services across the county, finding that central Pinal County has the highest service intensity level. Areas like Casa Grande, Coolidge, and Florence have multiple options including fixed bus routes and on-demand services.
However, nine communities were identified as needing enhanced service due to high populations of seniors and residents with disabilities but limited transportation options. These underserved areas include Apache Junction (population 41,240), San Tan Valley (101,207), Gold Canyon (11,565), Queen Valley (746), Superior (2,639), Saddlebrooke (12,014), San Manuel (3,535), Oracle (3,146), and Mammoth (1,014), according to July 2024 population estimates from Central Arizona Governments.
The study developed tailored recommendations for different areas of the county, working with a Technical Working Group of regional agencies, cities, Indian communities, and current transportation providers. Solutions varied by region – northern areas could benefit from coordination with Phoenix-area transit, eastern communities need expanded service hours, southern areas require coordination with Tucson, and the central region has potential for immediate improvements like expanding microtransit services.
“The on-the-go program is nice, but as you say, it stops at 4:00,” McClure said. “And taxi service is nonexistent. Even Uber or Lyft, you know, they’re not there.”
McClure pointed to dialysis patients as an example of how transportation gaps affect vulnerable residents. When a dialysis center in Mammoth closed for business reasons, patients had to travel to Oro Valley for treatment. “They couldn’t get there and the time constraints for that, the time that it takes to do dialysis, it’s very difficult,” he explained.
The study surveyed 328 residents, with 65% over age 65 and more than 40% reporting disabilities.
Surveys were distributed in both English and Spanish to reach residents with limited English proficiency. Residents’ top transportation needs were medical appointments, pharmacy visits, and grocery shopping. Major trip destinations identified by the study included health clinics and Walmart locations in Casa Grande, Maricopa, and Coolidge – essential services that become difficult to access when rides aren’t available.
Providers serve widely different numbers of riders, with an average of about 6,300 annually. However, Horizon Health and Wellness serves 27,500 riders per year – far more than smaller operators.
Multiple Challenges Compound Problems
Current transportation providers face numerous obstacles that limit their effectiveness. Many operate with just one or two vehicles across vast service areas, making it impossible to provide quick, reliable trips. Providers also struggle with limited funding for operations, vehicle maintenance issues, and staffing shortages.
During the board discussion, McClure told the board that insurance for non-medical volunteer driver programs is becoming harder to obtain, citing his wife’s experience with an insurance pool that withdrew due to accident costs. “When you look at non-medical transport, it’s almost impossible to get insurance for that anymore,” McClure said. “There have been too many accidents, too many things. My wife is on an insurance pool she’s president of and they’ve backed out of that because they can’t afford to insure those companies.” This adds another challenge for providers, as many volunteer transportation services cannot get insurance coverage and may not survive.
The study also revealed an information gap – many residents simply don’t know that transportation services exist in their communities.
Proposed Solutions Target Key Issues
The analysis recommends both immediate and long-term improvements to address these challenges:
Short-term fixes include better coordination between existing providers, extending service hours beyond 4 PM, adding weekend options, expanding volunteer driver programs such as Florence’s Give-A-Lift with better incentives for drivers, and creating a single website where residents can find all available transportation resources. The azrideinfo.com website already exists but needs periodic updates to serve this purpose effectively.
Medium-term solutions involve pursuing additional funding sources and expanding successful programs. For example, Apache Junction’s taxi voucher program, administered through its Parks and Recreation Department, could serve as a model for other communities.
Long-term recommendations include partnerships with private companies to fill service gaps, better coordination with neighboring counties and jurisdictions within Pinal County, development of new microtransit services in underserved areas, and replacement of aging vehicles with ADA-compliant models that can accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility devices.
Funding Remains Major Obstacle
The study identified several additional funding sources beyond the current federal program that supports senior and disabled transportation. These include other federal transit programs, Arizona tax credits for charitable organizations, and newer initiatives like the Carbon Reduction Program. However, securing money for daily operations remains challenging because most federal funding focuses on buying vehicles rather than paying for ongoing services.
The county’s mobility challenges reflect a broader struggle facing rural communities nationwide as populations age and transportation needs grow more complex. The study found that Pinal County has a higher percentage of elderly residents and people with disabilities compared to Arizona state averages, according to 2018-2022 American Community Survey estimates.
Project manager Daksha Masurkar from AECOM emphasized that solutions must be tailored to different regions within the county. “We cannot have common strategies for all of the county,” she explained. “Every town, city, and subregions had different needs.”
The final report will be completed by the end of September 2025, providing a roadmap for county officials and local communities to improve transportation access for their most vulnerable residents.
