Mobility decision tool
Does ANCHOR need to come closer, or do you need a ride somewhere else?
These are different access problems. MAV should solve the first whenever possible and coordinate the second through the appropriate transportation system.
Choose the travel problem that matches your situation.
Transportation + mobility
Access can move toward the person—or help the person reach the destination.
Transportation is not an afterthought in MAV. It is a separate operational lane with its own partners, eligibility rules, scheduling, accessible-vehicle requirements and funding. The MAV service vehicle delivers ANCHOR. The Mobility Desk solves trips.
Two mobility questions
“Can support come closer?” is different from “Can I get a ride?”
Move ANCHOR
Use a recurring community stop, partner site, pop-up room, Access Van, higher-capability mobile unit, home/field visit when lawful, or telehealth-linked host site. This reduces the need to travel in the first place.
Move the person
When the destination cannot move—a specialist, hospital, benefits office, school meeting, job interview or other service—the Mobility Desk builds the ride plan through the appropriate transportation system.
Existing Arkansas transportation
MAV should plug into the network Arkansas already funds and operates.
ARDOT currently lists nine rural public-transit systems. Their service areas, schedules and eligibility vary, so the proposed MAV system should maintain a live provider/coverage directory rather than hard-code assumptions.
Mobility Desk
Give the navigator a transportation workflow, not another referral list.
- Ask the trip question.Where do you need to go, when, how often, with what mobility/sensory/communication needs, and can someone travel with you?
- Check existing eligibility.Medicaid NET/NEMT for eligible medical trips; public transit; paratransit/specialized transportation; veteran, aging, disability or local partner programs where applicable.
- Plan the whole trip.Pickup window, waiting, transfers, return ride, support person, wheelchair/securement, communication notes, sensory needs and what happens if the appointment runs late.
- Book or warm-transfer.With consent, help complete the scheduling step instead of handing over a phone number.
- Follow the failure.If the ride does not work, record why: no coverage, no accessible vehicle, no same-day option, eligibility problem, missed pickup, communication failure, geographic gap or other barrier.
Funding + program alignment
Transportation has its own federal and state lanes.
Rural public transportation
Supports rural public transportation planning, capital and operating costs. FTA states the federal share can be up to 80% for planning/capital and 50% for operating assistance.
FTA 5311 ↗Older adults + people with disabilities
Supports transportation when existing service is unavailable, insufficient or inappropriate and can include accessible vehicles, scheduling/routing systems and mobility-management activities.
FTA 5310 ↗Coordinate instead of duplicate
FTA describes mobility management as coordinating transportation services around individual needs. FTA can fund 80% of eligible mobility-management expenses under applicable programs.
FTA Mobility Management ↗Medical-trip benefit
Arkansas Medicaid uses NET/NEMT for eligible medical transportation. As of January 2, 2026, Arkansas directs scheduling through Modivcare.
Arkansas DHS NET ↗If ANCHOR later transports passengers, treat that as a separate operating service.
A passenger-carrying MAV-Ride vehicle should have its own driver qualification, insurance, accessibility/securement, scheduling, maintenance, incident, privacy and funding rules. It should not be assumed that a support/clinical vehicle can also function as a public-transit vehicle merely because it has seats.