On-Demand Microtransit Proves Itself in Rural Virginia

Public transit won’t work in rural settings like it does in urban areas—but that doesn’t mean it won’t work at all.

Two rural Virginia transit agencies, Bay Transit on the Northern Neck and Mountain Empire Transit in the Southwest, are proving that point after launching on-demand microtransit services in 2021 and achieving significant ridership growth in 2022.

An article by Wyatt Gordon tells the story of the two transit agencies’ foray into on-demand microtransit, from an inception that was enabled by the state’s Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) applying for an Integrated Mobility Innovation grant from the Federal Transit Administration. 

The pilot project launched by Mountain Empire Transit (METGo) with that funding provides a fare-free alternative to traditional Medicaid-sponsored transportation that previously was the only option for seniors living in the METGo service area.

“In 2022, METGo riders comprised 38% of the system’s total ridership, helping Mountain Empire Transit to set a new ridership record,” reports Gordon.

In the Northern Neck, “Bay Transit eliminated two underperforming fixed routes that served the Gloucester County courthouse and replaced them with the Bay Transit Express-branded microtransit service,” reports Gordon. “The result was a 222% increase in ridership compared to the cut routes.”

The Bay Transit pilot project was so popular that the county is now paying for the service “via a combination of regular operating dollars and a matching grant from the locality.”