When Danelly DeLeon sits down with a new client, she wants to talk about birth plans, prenatal care, and the emotional landscape of pregnancy. She would prefer to use the appointment time to focus on care needs rather than arranging how the client will get to their next checkup.
“I didn’t become a doula to help people find rides,” said DeLeon, a full-spectrum doula and a Trenton native who provides bilingual support in English and Spanish across the tri-state area. “So the fact that now they have rides, that’s excellent. Now we can get to the real serious work.”
That shift started in late 2025, when DeLeon began using NJMIHIA Rides, the partnership between Isles’ GOTrenton! service and the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority. The program provides free, unlimited zero-emission transportation for pregnant and postpartum women, community health workers, doulas, and other members of the perinatal workforce anywhere in Trenton during GOTrenton!’s regular service hours. Riders can use the service for medical care and governmental services including training and educational services as well as workforce, social and financial assistance services.
For DeLeon’s clients, it has closed a gap that used to swallow whole appointments.
“Many of my clients in Trenton struggled with transportation. It was just unreliable,” she said. “A lot of moms already go to their medical appointments feeling overwhelmed. Now, with the free rides program, they can stay consistent in their care. They’re not missing appointments anymore.”
Ask DeLeon what the program means to the mothers she serves, and she keeps coming back to two ideas. “Peace of mind,” she said. “And focus. If you can’t get to an appointment in the very first stages of pregnancy, that’s already overwhelming, and you’re already stressed. This program genuinely gives moms peace of mind that they’re not going to miss their appointments, they’re going to meet their providers, they’re going to be on top of their game.”
The ripple effects reach whole households. Partners no longer have to leave work to drive to appointments, which protects the family’s income at one of its most financially stretched moments.
“When moms are empowered, communities are empowered,” DeLeon said. “People are showing up for themselves and caring for themselves. It’s really impacting not just individual families, but Trenton as a whole.”
NJMIHIA Rides is facilitated by the Isles Johnson Center for Learning & Policy. Eligible participants can obtain a ride code from their healthcare provider or social services agency, download the GOTrenton! app, and book rides as needed.
For more information or to request a ride code, email [email protected]. For questions about GOTrenton! service, contact [email protected].