Access to mobility is critical: CCAM-TAC Helps Keep Rural Communities Connected

Coordinated Council on Access And Mobility Technical Assistance Center Announces Community Rides Grant Awards

Washington, DC, February XX, 2026 - The Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility Technical Assistance Center (CCAM-TAC) is excited to announce it has awarded the Community Rides Grant to 5 Communities across the country. The Community Rides Grant Program, operated in collaboration with the National Rural Technical Assistance Program (National RTAP), focuses on connecting rural and tribal communities through strengthening or developing transportation services and community partnerships that will impact upstream drivers of health.

CCAM-TAC has awarded a total of $483,109, across five projects aimed at increasing American’s access to employment, healthcare, education, food, and community programs and services. The five communities are:

1. Big Bend Transit, Inc. in Gadsden County, FL, is receiving $98,600 to help connect transportation-disadvantaged residents in Gadsden County, bringing people to healthcare, jobs and training, groceries/pharmacy, and essential services. 
2. Powder River County in Brodaus, MT, is receiving $85,368 to improve access to basic needs like medical care, groceries, and essential supplies, especially for the elderly, disabled, and underserved, by building a flexible transportation and assistance program that offers rides, deliveries, and hands-on support to those who need it most. 
3. Macoupin County Public Health Department in Carlinville, IL is receiving $100,000 to expand services for residents in surrounding communities in need of transportation to behavioral health treatment. 
4. Shawnee Mass Transit District in Vienna, IL is receiving $100,000 to expand routes, launch Micro transit service, and extend paratransit service hours to better serve residents across the very rural, five-county region in the southernmost tip of IL. 
5. Red Lodge Area Community Foundation in Red Lodge, MT, is receiving $98,973 to help provide free rural transportation by improving data collections with transit-specific software, implementing new marketing outreach with how-to videos on access to services, and creating a focus on long-term sustainability. 

“We congratulate these communities for being awarded the grants and technical assistance to execute the projects. The projects that these five communities will be working on over the next year will provide essential transportation connections for people and build vital community partnerships that can lead to project sustainability,” stated CCAM-TAC Director Bill Wagner. “We look forward to bringing the expertise of the CCAM-TAC team and our colleagues at CTAA to help these communities achieve their goals of connecting people to the essential services and destinations.”

CCAM-TAC will provide thoughtful technical assistance to each of the five communities to ensure they receive a tailored approach to ensure each community is able to achieve their goals. A core part of the CCAM-TAC mission is to assist organizations in leveraging transportation to connect people with crucial resources like healthcare, groceries, employment, and other fundamental determinants of health. CCAM-TAC’s collaboration with National RTAP on Community Rides is another way to work directly with transportation providers across the country.