- December 13, 2025
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U.S. Marine Corps veteran Dale Cole said he never has waited more than five minutes for a ride when using Manatee Moves, a transportation service for veterans living in Manatee County.
Veterans can book two one-way trips a day for medical appointments and visits to Manatee County Veterans Services as long as they were honorably discharged and their medical providers are located within the boundaries of Manatee County.
Cole had a cut on his left ankle that got infected nine months ago and has since been referred to infectious disease control, a surgeon and a cardiologist to treat the wound.
He said Manatee Moves has been especially helpful when his wound required six weeks of intravenous antibiotics. Each day, Cole had to travel back and forth from his home in Greenfield Plantation to a medical office on State Road 70 near the interstate.
“They’d be there in minutes to pick me back up, too,” Cole said.
The program works with already established ride-booking companies, such as Uber and Lyft, to provide rides from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Unlike the Manatee County Area Transit Handy Bus that needs to be scheduled in advance, users of Manatee Moves can book a ride on the spot by using the Manatee Moves mobile app.
Rides can also be booked up to three days in advance.
The app is available on all Apple and Android devices, but a smartphone is not required to use the service. Reservations can be booked by calling the Manatee County Transportation Booking Line, too.
Since the program launched in January, it’s provided 1,935 free rides to 338 veterans.
“There are federal Veterans Affairs benefits available, but there are also specific benefits just for living here in Manatee County,” said Michael Strollo, communications coordinator for Manatee County Community and Veterans Services.
Meeting with county staff at Veterans Services also qualifies as a “medical ride” because the veteran is discussing or filing paperwork for a medical benefit.
The only barrier Strollo noted is that because Manatee Moves is a public-private partnership, in which the county is using already established ride-booking companies, veterans must be mobile.
Veterans can bring a cane or collapsible walker, but they have to be able to get to their ride and in and out of the vehicle on their own.
If a veteran uses a wheelchair, the handy bus is a better fit because the driver can offer assistance. The limitation of the handy bus is that it has to be scheduled in advance. But it's accessible to anyone in the county because every vehicle is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Manatee County is committed to removing barriers and making it easier than ever for our veterans to get the care and services they deserve,” Strollo said.
