Innovative Public Transportation Option

Arlington Tx has instituted a novel public transportation system, Star-Telegram, that provides transportation without the massive long-term investments that traditional rail and bus systems require. The riders also have to pay a nominal fee that assures their need for the service. 

Arlington has entered into another one year contract with Via, a ride-sharing service company.

“We have hit on something that is tremendously successful that is getting the ridership we’ve all been hoping for — at a fraction of the costs of traditional transportation like buses or light rail,” said Mayor Jeff Williams at a Nov. 27 council meeting. 

Via uses drivers in independently owned vehicles (similar to Uber or Lyft) to keep passengers’ average waiting times below 12 minutes. Unlike those services, Via doesn’t pick come to your doorstep but instead directs riders to a location within walking distance.

Via works by using a smart phone application and dynamic routing to allow passengers to access a wide range of destinations within Arlington. It doesn’t stick to fixed routes or a fixed schedule. Rides cost $3 per person per trip. Passengers can catch a ride from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays. Riders can also purchase a ViaPass for $15 per week and ride up to four times per day all week long. Via doesn’t run on Sundays.

This looks like a concept that the City of Georgetown should look into. Meets the needs of the community without huge capital investments or expanding the city workforce.