Gadabout Transportation Services, Inc.

What Gadabout Transportation Services, Inc. does

Gadabout Transportation Services, Inc. is a New York State chartered not-for-profit corporation founded in 1976 and headquartered at the Ithaca Tompkins Transit Center (737 Willow Ave, Ithaca, NY). The organization provides door-to-door paratransit service to older adults (age 55+), people with disabilities (including ADA-certified riders), and Medicaid recipients throughout Tompkins County, with one route extending into Schuyler County (Watkins Glen) for Challenge Industries workers. Gadabout operates a fleet of 26 lift-equipped cutaway buses (currently ~20 in peak service), employs roughly 10 office staff plus 30-35 drivers supplemented by volunteers, and delivers over 60,000 one-way trips annually to approximately 2,781 unique individuals, operating 360 days per year.

The core technology stack is a demand-response paratransit scheduling and dispatch operation running on legacy EasyRides software (purchased in the early 2000s) backed by Microsoft SQL Server 2017 on Windows Server 2016, with GPS-enabled vehicle tracking via mobile data terminals and WLAN upload at the office. Gadabout is executing a multi-phase technology modernization (RFPs 19-01, 20-01, and 23-01 from 2019 through 2023) to replace the EasyRides platform with modern transit management technology featuring real-time tracking, geo-fencing, and MDT integration. A multi-zone fare system prices trips at $2.00 (Zone 1, Ithaca city) or $3.00 (Zone 2, county outskirts), with ticket books available, while fully loaded cost per rider is approximately $25.

Revenue is a blended public-sector/nonprofit model: fare and user revenue covers approximately 48% of the operating budget, with the balance from NY State Transit Operating Assistance, Tompkins County and City of Ithaca municipal funding, United Way of Tompkins County, Office for the Aging grants, and individual donations. Gadabout also holds a managed-services contract with TCAT (Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit) to operate TCAT's federally mandated ADA complementary paratransit service, including evenings and weekends, and coordinates Medicaid rides through MAS Transportation Services. The organization markets primarily through community outreach at senior facilities and disability groups, word-of-mouth referrals, and a phone/email intake process requiring two business days' advance notice, with an active RFP underway for expanded multi-channel marketing.

Name

Gadabout Transportation Services, Inc.

Legal name

Gadabout Transportation Services, Inc.

Website

https://gadaboutbus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gadabout Transportation Services, Inc. is a 1976-founded New York nonprofit that provides door-to-door paratransit service for adults 55+, people with disabilities, and Medicaid recipients in Tompkins County, NY, operating 26 lift-equipped buses to deliver over 60,000 annual trips and TCAT's ADA paratransit service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paratransit Transportation Services

NAICS

Special Needs Transportation (485991), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs & Senior Transportation Services (TLAFAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) Providers (TLAFAKAB), Managed Transportation Programs (Health Plans/MCOs/TPAs) (TLAFAKAF)

Keywords

• Paratransit transportation
• ADA complementary service
• Senior transportation
• Demand response transit
• Non-emergency medical transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transit Fares: Fare revenue from riders using the transportation service. Fares are $2.00 (Zone 1) or $3.00 (Zone 2) per one-way trip. Fares and user revenue make up approximately 48% of the operating budget.
2. State Transit Operating Assistance: State funding for public transportation operations as part of the statewide public transportation system.
3. Municipal Funding: Funding agreements with local municipalities including Tompkins County government and City of Ithaca.
4. United Way and Grants: Funding from United Way of Tompkins County and Office for the Aging grants, plus other grant programs.
5. Donations and Fundraising: Annual fundraising campaign and individual donations to support operations, bus maintenance, fuel, insurance, driver training, and keeping fares low. Volunteer drivers reduce costs by over $68,000 annually.
6. TCAT Contract for ADA Paratransit: Gadabout operates TCAT's ADA complementary paratransit service under contract, providing service parallel to TCAT's fixed route service including evenings and weekends.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gadabout Transportation Services, Inc. is a nonprofit organization providing door-to-door voluntary transportation for residents of Tompkins County, New York who are 55 years and older, ADA-certified individuals with disabilities, and Medicaid recipients. It operates a fleet of lift-equipped cutaway buses and also runs TCAT's ADA complementary paratransit service under contract, providing accessible rides to medical appointments, shopping centers, and personal residences.

Product overview

Gadabout Transportation Services, Inc. is a nonprofit transportation service operating in Tompkins County, New York for over 40 years. The company offers a single unified transportation service for older adults (55+) and people with disabilities, comprising core door-to-door transportation and ADA paratransit services operated for TCAT. The organization is currently undergoing a technology transformation, replacing its legacy EasyRides scheduling software (from early 2000s) with modern transit management technology for scheduling and dispatch. Gadabout is also implementing new multi-channel marketing services to promote its technology-enhanced services. The service operates Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm with a fleet of 26 lift-equipped cutaway buses and serves approximately 2,781 individuals annually with around 54,000 trips per year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gadabout Door-to-Door Transportation Service Voluntary door-to-door transportation service for Tompkins County residents aged 55 and older, providing rides to doctor offices, shopping centers (limit 8 grocery bags), and personal residences. Operated using a fleet of lift-equipped cutaway buses with service requiring two business days advance notice by phone or email.
• ADA Paratransit Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 2,781 individuals annually with over 60,000 one-way trips
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TCAT (Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGadabout operates TCAT's ADA Complementary Paratransit service under contract. Gadabout manages the service that TCAT is required to provide under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Both organizations share the Ithaca Tompkins Transit Center (ITTC) building on Willow Avenue. TCAT also provides IT services through their IT manager.
• Tompkins CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTompkins County provides funding agreements and municipal support for Gadabout's transportation services. The county also houses various offices and departments that work with Gadabout on transportation needs for residents.
• United Way of Tompkins CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way of Tompkins County provides funding support as part of their community service programs benefiting older adults and people with disabilities.
• MAS Transportation ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedicaid trips are coordinated through MAS Transportation Services. Medicaid recipients must call Medicaid to set up rides and request Gadabout as their transportation provider.
• Office for the AgingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Office for the Aging provides grant funding to support transportation services for older adults in Tompkins County.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• GoGoGrandparent: Tech-enabled on-demand ride service for older adults that brokers Uber/Lyft with caregiver oversight; an emerging, tech-first player serving overlapping senior mobility needs through a different (digital) delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Modivcare (formerly LogistiCare): Large publicly traded NEMT managed-transportation platform serving Medicaid and Medicare health plans nationally; comparable as a managed-transportation program operator but at vastly larger scale than Gadabout's regional nonprofit model.
• Uber Health: Uber's healthcare transportation arm providing NEMT and senior rides through managed care, hospitals, and broker partnerships; a broad incumbent encroaching on the same rider population Gadabout serves.
• MTM Inc. Major NEMT broker and manager of non-emergency medical transportation for state Medicaid programs; a broad incumbent in the same NEMT category as Gadabout's Medicaid-coordinated trips.
• Lyft Healthcare (Lyft Concierge): Major rideshare platform's healthcare/medical transport product partnering with health plans and NEMT brokers; a broad incumbent competing for the same Medicaid and senior transit demand via a different technology stack.

Direct peers

• MAS Transportation Services: Medicaid NEMT broker that coordinates Gadabout's Medicaid recipient trips for medical appointments; a direct peer in the New York NEMT and managed-transportation ecosystem where Gadabout operates as a downstream provider.
• ITN America: National nonprofit network providing dignified, door-through-door transportation for older adults through affiliated local affiliates; mirrors Gadabout's nonprofit, senior-focused, community-led model and is one of the most direct conceptual peers in the country.
• Ride Connection: Portland-area nonprofit providing door-to-door transportation for older adults and people with disabilities through volunteers, paid drivers, and contracted services; directly comparable nonprofit paratransit model with similar rider segments and volunteer-driven cost structure.

Others

• National Aging and Disability Transportation Center: Federally funded technical assistance center coordinating transportation services for older adults and people with disabilities nationwide; not a competitor but a direct ecosystem peer that shapes funding, policy, and best practices for organizations like Gadabout.

Regional players

• TCAT (Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit): Fixed-route public transit operator in Ithaca/Tompkins County that contracts Gadabout to deliver its ADA complementary paratransit service; operates from the same Ithaca Tompkins Transit Center and shares IT support. Directly comparable as the regional anchor agency in the same service territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gadabout-transportation-services-inc

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 Gadabout Transportation Services, Inc.