Onward launches RTD Access-a-Ride partnership in Denver

Onward began serving Denver metro RTD Access-a-Ride customers on July 1 with wheelchair-accessible vehicles and text-based trip booking. The launch aims to expand capacity, improve reliability, and remove app and call-center barriers for riders with disabilities and older adults.

Why it matters: - Onward’s Denver launch gives RTD Access-a-Ride riders a new way to book and manage trips without calling or downloading an app. - The partnership adds wheelchair-accessible capacity and is designed to improve reliability, response times and service continuity for paratransit customers. - The service also broadens access for older adults and people with disabilities through text-based scheduling and multilingual support.

What happened: - Onward officially launched on July 1 as a Regional Transportation District Access-a-Ride partner serving the greater Denver metro area. - The service covers RTD Access-on-Demand customers with wheelchair-accessible vehicle service and later rideshare trips. - Enrolled riders can text “Book” to (983) 223-7088 to order, track and manage trips. - The transition overlaps with the legacy program to avoid disruption for customers.

The details: - Onward has contracted with local wheelchair-accessible vehicle providers that put more than 100 accessible vehicles in service from day one. - The company’s Text2Book tool lets riders book, track and manage trips through their standard text messaging app. - Text2Book supports real-time trip tracking, configurable notifications by SMS, email or IVR phone call, and trip cancellation. - The tool was developed with AARP’s AgeTech Accelerator and was designed for older adults and individuals with disabilities. - Onward’s AI chat agent Paige provides language support in more than 100 languages through Text2Book and website chat. - Onward describes itself as a transportation network company that supports paratransit agencies and municipalities with assisted rideshare services. - More information is available on Onward’s website. - RTD says it was created in 1969 by the Colorado General Assembly and now serves more than 3.1 million people in the Denver metro area. - RTD operates with a 15-member publicly elected board, a 2,349-square-mile service area, 126 bus routes, six light rail lines, four commuter rail lines and paratransit options. - More information is available on RTD’s about page.

Between the lines: - The launch signals a push to make paratransit more flexible and less dependent on traditional call-in workflows. - The more than 100-vehicle starting fleet suggests Onward is trying to enter the market with immediate operational scale, not a pilot-size footprint. - The bilingual and text-first design points to a broader shift toward simpler interfaces for riders who face mobility, age or technology barriers.

What's next: - Onward said rideshare service will follow the wheelchair-accessible rollout for RTD Access-on-Demand customers. - The company said expanded services are “waiting in the wings,” signaling further Colorado growth beyond the Denver launch. - RTD riders will continue using the overlap period as the new service transitions in alongside the legacy program.

The bottom line: - Onward is betting that accessible, text-based trip booking can make paratransit easier to use while improving service capacity in Denver.