Highlands Ranch residents gain access to free ride-share service

Highlands Ranch residents can now use Link On Demand, a free ride-share service that also reaches Lone Tree and select areas of Parker. Douglas County’s site says, “Need a ride? Free Link On Demand now serves Highlands Ranch,” and Lone Tree’s Link On Demand page says riders can “ride for free in Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, and select areas of Parker.”

Via describes Link On Demand as a public transit rideshare service, and riders can request a trip through an app or by calling. That makes the service most relevant for the kinds of short, practical trips that can be awkward in suburban Douglas County: doctor appointments, grocery store runs, work trips and other local destinations that do not always line up with fixed bus routes.

The Highlands Ranch addition is part of a broader microtransit rollout in Douglas County. Commissioner Abe Laydon said on Facebook that Link On Demand had already delivered 83,000 rides, showing the program had a substantial user base before the Highlands Ranch expansion widened its reach.

For Highlands Ranch, the civic value is straightforward. A free, on-demand ride option can help fill the gap between private driving and traditional transit, especially in a community where many trips are too short to justify a full commute but still too far or inconvenient to handle on foot. It also gives residents a new option when they do not want to drive for routine errands or medical visits.

The remaining question for riders is not whether the service exists, but how well it fits everyday needs across Highlands Ranch and the nearby service area. The county-backed program now gives residents a concrete alternative for local mobility, with coverage that extends beyond one neighborhood and into the broader Douglas County transportation network.