Special Mobility Services

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.

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

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

• Community shuttle services
• Medicaid transportation brokerage
• Dial-a-ride service
• Non-emergency medical transport
• Public transit travel training

Headquarters

HQ city

Spokane

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Primary funding from Washington State Department of Transportation grants supporting community shuttle and dial-a-ride operations
2. Medicaid Transportation Brokerage: Contracted by Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) to broker transportation for Medicaid clients to healthcare appointments
3. Passenger Fares: Nominal fares collected for community shuttle and dial-a-ride services ($1-$5 per trip)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core 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

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Washington State Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1981Primary 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContracted as official Medicaid transportation broker for eastern Washington. HCA pays for transportation services for eligible Medicaid clients to healthcare appointments.
• City of Deer ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributing funding support for Deer Park Dial-A-Ride door-to-door transportation service within the city limits.
• People for PeopleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConnecting 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

Emerging 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/special-mobility-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Special Mobility Services