Special Mobility Services
Special Mobility Services is a Washington State non-profit, founded in 1981, that provides passenger transportation, community shuttles, Medicaid transportation brokerage, and travel training across Eastern Washington, primarily funded by state DOT grants and a Health Care Authority Medicaid contract.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersSpokane, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Special Mobility Services does
Special Mobility Services (SMS) is a Washington State non-profit organization founded in 1981 that provides passenger transportation services across Eastern Washington. Headquartered in Spokane Valley (12615 E Mission Ave, Suite 312), the organization operates four core service lines: intercity Community Shuttles linking rural communities (Davenport, Deer Park, Newport, Reardan, Ritzville, Sprague) to Spokane across a three-county area; door-to-door Deer Park Dial-A-Ride service for in-town trips; Medicaid Transportation brokerage coordinating fuel vouchers, bus passes, taxi rides, and volunteer drivers across ten eastern Washington counties; and a free Independence Travel Training program teaching individuals to ride Spokane Transit Authority buses independently.
The organization's underlying technology is a transportation brokerage and dispatch system that coordinates multiple service modalities (public bus, taxi, volunteer drivers, intercity buses, fuel vouchers) to deliver least-cost appropriate transportation options for Medicaid clients. Vehicles are wheelchair-accessible, and drivers provide door-to-door assistance. Operations include a dedicated dispatch center, a Medicaid call center, and published ADA and Title VI compliance policies.
SMS operates as a community-led non-profit with a grant-and-contract revenue model. Primary funding comes from Washington State Department of Transportation grants (supporting community shuttles, dial-a-ride, and travel training) and Washington Health Care Authority contracts (Medicaid transportation brokerage), with minor supplemental funding from the City of Deer Park and nominal passenger fares of $1-$5 per shuttle or dial-a-ride trip. The organization is not publicly traded, has no identified parent company or institutional investors, and reports no funding rounds, acquisitions, or subsidiaries in available source material.
Special Mobility Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Special Mobility Services
- Legal name
- Special Mobility Services
- Website
- https://sms1.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Special Mobility Services is a Washington State non-profit, founded in 1981, that provides passenger transportation, community shuttles, Medicaid transportation brokerage, and travel training across Eastern Washington, primarily funded by state DOT grants and a Health Care Authority Medicaid contract.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Special Mobility Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Non-Emergency Medical Transportation and Community Shuttle Services
- NAICS
- Special Needs Transportation (485991), Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (48599)
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700), Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Special Needs & Senior Transportation Services (TLAFAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Door-to-Door Senior Ride Services (Non-Medical) (HSABAOAB), Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) & Wheelchair/Stretcher Transport (HLAFANAJ), Community & Senior Transportation Shuttles (Dial-a-Ride, Non-ADA) (TLAFAJAI)
Keywords
Where Special Mobility Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Spokane
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Special Mobility Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Government Grants: Primary funding from Washington State Department of Transportation grants supporting community shuttle and dial-a-ride operations
- Medicaid Transportation Brokerage: Contracted by Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) to broker transportation for Medicaid clients to healthcare appointments
- Passenger Fares: Nominal fares collected for community shuttle and dial-a-ride services ($1-$5 per trip)
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Community Shuttle Fares |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Deer Park Dial-A-Ride |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Independence Travel Training |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Medicaid Transportation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Special Mobility Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Special Mobility Services operates passenger transportation and mobility services in Eastern Washington, including intercity community shuttles linking rural communities to Spokane, Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation brokerage across ten eastern Washington counties, door-to-door Dial-A-Ride service in Deer Park, and free Independence Travel Training that teaches individuals to use public transit independently. Services are funded through grants from the Washington State Department of Transportation and contracts with the Washington Health Care Authority, with nominal passenger fares on community shuttles and dial-a-ride routes.
Product overview
Special Mobility Services (SMS) is a non-profit organization offering a coordinated portfolio of transportation services in Eastern Washington. The core offerings include Community Shuttles providing intercity connections between rural communities and Spokane, Medicaid Transportation Services as a state-funded brokerage for healthcare appointments, and local Deer Park Dial-A-Ride service for in-town trips. Supporting these is an Independence Travel Training program that helps individuals learn to use public transit independently. Services are funded through Washington State Department of Transportation grants and the Washington Health Care Authority.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Community Shuttles Intercity shuttle services operating weekdays with fixed routes and by-request stops, connecting rural communities (Davenport, Deer Park, Newport, Ritzville, Sprague, Reardan) to Spokane, including Spokane International Airport and major hospitals. Vehicles are fully accessible to people using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. Fares range from $2.00 one way / $3.00 roundtrip on most routes to $5.00 one way on the Newport route.
- Medicaid Transportation Services Non-emergency medical transportation brokerage serving Medicaid clients in Adams, Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, and Whitman counties. Coordinates fuel vouchers, public bus passes, taxi rides, volunteer drivers, and intercity bus/train options to deliver rides to doctor visits, dialysis, chemotherapy, and other covered medical services. Free to eligible Medicaid clients; funded by Washington Health Care Authority.
- Deer Park Dial-A-Ride Door-to-door bus service operating weekdays within Deer Park city limits. Drivers meet passengers at their door and assist them to and from the bus, with fully wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Fare is $1.00 one way.
- Independence Travel Training Free one-on-one training program teaching individuals — including people with disabilities and teens learning independence — how to ride Spokane Transit Authority (STA) buses safely and independently. Training is individualized, available anywhere in Spokane County at times and locations convenient for participants, and 100% funded by the Washington State Department of Transportation.
Quantifiable outcome
- 94% cost savings compared to owning and operating a car
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Special Mobility Services
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Special Mobility Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Special Mobility Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Washington State Department of TransportationcorePrimary grant funder for community shuttle services and dial-a-ride operations. Provides ongoing financial support enabling intercity transportation connecting rural eastern Washington communities to Spokane.
- Washington Health Care Authority (HCA)coreContracted as official Medicaid transportation broker for eastern Washington. HCA pays for transportation services for eligible Medicaid clients to healthcare appointments.
- City of Deer ParkminorContributing funding support for Deer Park Dial-A-Ride door-to-door transportation service within the city limits.
- People for PeopleminorConnecting shuttle service partner providing transportation between Davenport and Grand Coulee, connecting with SMS services at Ritzville for travel to Moses Lake.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Special Mobility Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Uber Health: Uber Health is a healthcare-focused ride coordination platform that brokers non-emergency medical rides for health plans and Medicaid programs, representing the type of digital entrant that could disrupt traditional brokers like SMS.
- SafeRide Health: SafeRide Health is a technology-driven NEMT broker that partners with health plans and Medicaid programs to coordinate rides; it represents the emerging tech-enabled alternative to traditional brokerages like SMS.
- Lyft Healthcare: Lyft Healthcare provides on-demand NEMT and patient transportation services through partnerships with health plans and brokers; it represents a growing digitally native alternative to traditional NEMT brokers like SMS.
- Volunteers of America (Transportation Programs): Volunteers of America operates senior and special-needs transportation services across multiple states, including volunteer driver programs that functionally resemble SMS's volunteer driver channel for Medicaid rides.
Regional players
- Spokane Transit Authority: Spokane Transit Authority is the regional public transit agency that SMS helps riders access through its travel training program and as a Medicaid transportation option; it is a closely related but public-sector peer in the same service area.
Broad incumbents
- Modivcare (formerly LogistiCare): Modivcare is a large national NEMT brokerage and personal care services provider that contracts with state Medicaid agencies; it represents the kind of scaled, technology-enhanced broker that SMS competes against in state procurement processes.
- MTM (Medical Transportation Management): MTM is a national NEMT and public transit broker managing Medicaid and Medicare transportation in multiple states, making it a large incumbent comparable to SMS's brokerage function at much greater scale.
Direct peers
- People for People: People for People is a Washington State non-profit providing transportation, employment, and community services; it is explicitly listed as a connecting shuttle partner of SMS and operates overlapping rural transit and human services transportation in the same region.
- Mobility Management of Washington (HopeLink): HopeLink is a Washington non-profit that provides coordinated transportation, Medicaid NEMT brokerage, and mobility management services across multiple counties, making it a direct competitor for state transportation contracts that SMS also pursues.
Others
- Area Agency on Aging (Disability Resource Network): Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and Area Agencies on Aging fund and coordinate senior and disability transportation services statewide, making them adjacent ecosystem players that shape the contracting environment SMS operates in.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Special Mobility Services social profiles
Digital presenceSpecial Mobility Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Special Mobility Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Special Mobility Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Special Mobility Services M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Special Mobility Services
What does Special Mobility Services do?
Special Mobility Services operates passenger transportation and mobility services in Eastern Washington, including intercity community shuttles linking rural communities to Spokane, Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation brokerage across ten eastern Washington counties, door-to-door Dial-A-Ride service in Deer Park, and free Independence Travel Training that teaches individuals to use public transit independently. Services are funded through grants from the Washington State Department of Transportation and contracts with the Washington Health Care Authority, with nominal passenger fares on community shuttles and dial-a-ride routes.
Is Special Mobility Services a public or private company?
Special Mobility Services is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Special Mobility Services founded?
Special Mobility Services was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Special Mobility Services based?
Special Mobility Services is headquartered in Spokane, United States, in the North America region.
How does Special Mobility Services make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Grants are the primary driver. The others are medicaid Transportation Brokerage and passenger Fares.
Who are Special Mobility Services's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Uber Health, SafeRide Health, Lyft Healthcare and Volunteers of America (Transportation Programs). Spokane Transit Authority is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Modivcare (formerly LogistiCare) and MTM (Medical Transportation Management). Direct peers are People for People and Mobility Management of Washington (HopeLink). Area Agency on Aging (Disability Resource Network) is listed as an others.
Does Special Mobility Services have an API?
No public API is recorded for Special Mobility Services.
What industry is Special Mobility Services in?
Special Mobility Services's product category is Non-Emergency Medical Transportation and Community Shuttle Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFAKAI, Special Needs & Senior Transportation Services, with a secondary code of HSABAOAB, Door-to-Door Senior Ride Services (Non-Medical). Its NAICS code is 485991 and its SIC code is 4700.