Dial A Bus

What Dial A Bus does

Dial A Bus, as represented in the aggregated input data, corresponds to DART (Dial-A-Ride Transportation) Paratransit, a reservation-based ride-sharing paratransit service operated by Community Transit, a public transit agency established in 1979 and serving Snohomish County, Washington. The service provides ADA-compliant transportation for county residents aged six and older who are unable to access or use Community Transit's fixed-route bus service due to mobility, sensory, or cognitive disabilities, covering destinations within three-quarters of a mile of fixed-route bus service and Sound Transit Link light rail stations. Eligibility is determined through a one-to-two-hour assessment interview conducted by Transdev, and trips are booked via phone reservations or the Community Transit DART App for next-day and up to seven-day advance scheduling.

The underlying technology is a reservation-based dispatch system with a mobile booking application, an interactive service-area mapping tool, and integration with the regional ORCA smart card fare-payment platform that enables two-hour cross-agency fare transfers. The platform supports subscription/standing ride reservations for recurring trips and accepts multiple payment methods including ORCA cards, cash, ticket books, and monthly passes. Connectivity extends to Sound Transit Link light rail at three stations and reciprocal transfer arrangements with six neighboring paratransit agencies.

The business model operates as a public-sector transit service rather than a commercial enterprise. Revenue is generated through per-trip fares ($2.50 for adults aged 19–64 and ORCA LIFT riders), with complimentary service for youth, ORCA Subsidized Annual Pass holders, and Personal Care Attendants, supplemented by ticket book and monthly pass sales and likely substantial public subsidy typical of ADA-mandated paratransit operations. The customer base is a single horizontal persona segment — ADA-eligible Snohomish County residents — and the market is structurally bounded by the eligible population within the county's fixed-route service area. Note: the firmographic record (5 employees, Bensenville, IL) appears inconsistent with the operational data describing a large countywide public transit service in Washington state, suggesting a data-mapping discrepancy in the input.

Name

Dial A Bus

Legal name

Community Transit

Website

https://dialaride.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DART (Dial-A-Ride Transportation) is an ADA-mandated paratransit service operated by Community Transit, providing reservation-based ride-sharing transportation to Snohomish County, Washington residents with disabilities who cannot use fixed-route bus service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paratransit Transportation Services

NAICS

Special Needs Transportation (485991)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Shared-Route Dial-a-Ride (Multi-Stop DRT) (THAIAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

On-Demand Shared Shuttle / Vanpool (Dynamic Routing, Door-to-Door) (TLAFAJAB)

Keywords

• Paratransit transportation services
• Accessible transit services
• Ride sharing services
• Disability transportation services
• Demand responsive transit

Headquarters

HQ city

Everett

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transit Fares: DART generates revenue through per-trip fares charged to riders. Adults aged 19-64 and ORCA LIFT riders pay $2.50 per trip. Youth (18 and younger) and ORCA Subsidized Annual Pass holders ride at no cost. Additional revenue streams include ticket books, monthly passes, Edmonds College Pass, and University of Washington Pass purchased by eligible riders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DART (Dial-A-Ride Transportation) is a reservation-based ride sharing paratransit service operated by Community Transit for Snohomish County, Washington residents who cannot access or use fixed-route bus service due to a disability or condition. Riders schedule trips via phone or the Community Transit DART mobile app, with service available within three-quarters of a mile of local fixed-route bus routes and Sound Transit Link light rail stations.

Product overview

DART (Dial-A-Ride Transportation) is a reservation-based paratransit service operated by Community Transit for Snohomish County residents unable to use fixed-route bus service due to disability. The core DART service is supplemented by a mobile application (Community Transit DART App) for trip scheduling, subscription ride options for regular travelers, and fare payment products including ticket books and monthly passes. All services are integrated with the regional ORCA smart card payment system and connect with Sound Transit Link light rail and other regional paratransit services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DART (Dial-A-Ride Transportation) Paratransit Service Reservation-based ride sharing paratransit service providing transportation for Snohomish County residents who cannot access or use Community Transit's fixed-route bus service due to a disability or condition. Riders must be 6 years or older and meet ADA eligibility criteria, then can schedule trips by phone or via the DART mobile app for next-day and up to seven days in advance. Service operates within three-quarters of a mile of local fixed-route bus service and connects to Sound Transit Link light rail stations.
• Community Transit DART App Mobile application that allows DART riders to schedule trips. Riders can book trips for the next day and up to seven days in advance through the app, providing a digital alternative to phone-based reservations for paratransit ride booking.
• Subscription Rides Standing ride reservations for DART trips taken consistently on the same day(s) of the week, at the same time, to and from the same places. Approved subscribers do not need to call or use the app to book individual recurring trips.
• DART Ticket Books Pre-purchased ticket books for DART fare payment, available for purchase online at dartsales.communitytransit.org, in-person at the Ride Store at Lynnwood City Center Station, by phone, or by mail using the DART by Mail order form.
• Monthly DART Passes Monthly pass options for DART fare payment, available for purchase online at dartsales.communitytransit.org, in-person at the Ride Store, by phone, or by mail.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sound TransitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDART riders can connect to Sound Transit's Link light rail at Lynnwood City Center Station, Mountlake Terrace Station, and Shoreline North/185th Station. DART operates within the service area of Sound Transit's Link light rail service.
• TransdevcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTransdev conducts eligibility assessment interviews for DART applicants at their Everett office location (6700 Hardeson Road, Suite 103). The assessment interviews are customized to each person's mobility, sensory, and cognitive ability.
• King County Metro ParatransitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional paratransit partner providing service to Sound Transit's new Shoreline South/148th Station and other Link light rail stations in King County. DART can help arrange transfers to King County ACCESS service.
• Everett ParatransitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional paratransit partner within Snohomish County. DART can help arrange trips that require transfer to or from Everett Paratransit service.
• Island ParatransitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional paratransit partner. DART can help arrange trips that require transfer to or from Island Paratransit service.
• Kitsap Transit AccessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional paratransit partner. DART can help arrange trips that require transfer to or from Kitsap Transit Access service.
• Skagit Transit Dial-A-RideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional paratransit partner. DART can help arrange trips that require transfer to or from Skagit Transit Dial-A-Ride service.
• ORCA (One Regional Card for All)coreTechnology or IntegrationORCA is a regional transit fare card system accepted on DART for payment. ORCA cards can be used to transfer fare to other transit services for up to two hours. ORCA cards can be purchased online at myorca.com or in person at select locations including Community Transit's Ride Store.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• First Student: Large North American transportation operator (formerly First Transit) providing paratransit, fixed-route, and shuttle services for public transit agencies. Comparable as a major private contractor delivering ADA paratransit at scale across multiple U.S. cities.
• National Express Transit: National Express LLC's transit division operates paratransit, fixed-route, and student transportation across U.S. cities. Directly comparable as a private contractor delivering ADA-mandated services under contract to public transit agencies.
• Transdev: Largest private-sector paratransit and transit operator in North America. Transdev conducts DART's eligibility assessments and operates paratransit services for many U.S. transit agencies, making it both a contracting partner and the closest commercial peer to DART's operating model.
• MV Transportation: Major private contractor of paratransit, fixed-route, and shuttle services for U.S. transit agencies. Highly comparable as an outsourced operator of ADA paratransit with similar dispatch, eligibility, and vehicle-mix models.

Direct peers

• Everett Paratransit: ADA paratransit service operated by Everett Transit within Snohomish County. Direct local peer serving the same county and explicitly coordinated with DART for transfer trips.
• King County Metro ACCESS: ADA paratransit service operated by King County Metro in King County, Washington. Directly comparable demand-responsive transit service for riders with disabilities, and an active transfer partner for DART trips crossing into King County.

Emerging players

• Uber WAV: Uber's wheelchair-accessible vehicle product available in select U.S. markets. Comparable on-demand accessible mobility offering, though not ADA-mandated, and partially overlapping with DART's discretionary eligible-rider segment.
• Lyft Access Mode: Lyft's accessible vehicle service offering assisted rides in select U.S. metros. Comparable as an emerging on-demand alternative for riders with mobility limitations, positioned adjacent to—rather than competing with—ADA paratransit.

Regional players

• Kitsap Transit Access: ADA paratransit service operated by Kitsap Transit in Kitsap County, Washington. Directly comparable operating model and an active DART transfer partner for cross-county trips.
• Skagit Transit Dial-A-Ride: ADA paratransit and general public dial-a-ride service operated by Skagit Transit in Skagit County, Washington. Closely comparable service model and an active DART transfer partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dial-a-bus

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Dial A Bus