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Reach Out Morongo Basin wins $400,000 FTA award to expand senior and disability transit
Summary
Reach Out Morongo Basin told the Twentynine Palms City Council it will receive $400,000 in FTA 5310 funding for fiscal years 2027–2029 to operate ADA and door‑to‑door transportation for seniors and people with disabilities across the Morongo Basin; the agency reported a 33% service increase in 2024 and doubled trips since 2023.
Reach Out Morongo Basin presented its transportation program update to the Twentynine Palms City Council on March 10, reporting service growth and a new federal grant award.
"For the 2027 through 2029 fiscal year, we'll be receiving $400,000 to help provide transportation services here in the Morongo Basin," Robin Schlosser, executive director of Reach Out Morongo Basin, told the council. Schlosser said the agency has operated in the basin since 1998, oversees the 29 Palms Senior Center, and provides door‑to‑door ADA transportation across a 3,449‑square‑mile service area serving roughly 72,000 residents in the basin.
Schlosser described program metrics: Reach Out provided about 14,979 trips and 104,000 miles in 2025 and averaged approximately 1,100–1,300 trips per month in recent months, representing a 33% increase in services in 2024 and a doubling of trips compared with 2023. The program partners with the Morongo Basin Healthcare District ("Wellness Wheels") as a subrecipient and coordinates scheduling and grant reporting with Morongo Basin Transit Authority.
Schlosser emphasized rural service challenges — long distances, many miles of unpaved roads and limited nearby medical providers — and said the FTA 5310 funding and local support will help maintain and expand same‑day and door‑to‑door service for seniors, disabled residents and veterans.
City officials thanked Reach Out for its work; council members noted the award will support mobility for residents who lack alternatives and recognized the agency's role in food‑delivery collaborations with local pantries.
