Advocates Urge Caution as Microtransit Expands

Transit advocates are sounding the alarm on the rapid rise of microtransit programs, which transit agencies around the country are turning to as an affordable way to supplement existing services but which some fear could undermine fixed-route services.

As Jared Brey reports in Governing, microtransit, particularly on-demand services, can help residents who aren’t otherwise well-served by transit services improve their mobility. However, “Advocates say it’s inefficient, highly expensive per rider and an opportunity cost for transit agencies that doesn’t increase ridership overall.”

Microtransit has its benefits, Brey notes, citing examples from Gwinnett County, Georgia, and Jersey City. It can vastly improve mobility options for rural residents, elderly people, and others who cannot or do not drive. But in some cases, the cost to the city is exceedingly high: programs in Los Angeles and Sacramento are costing those cities around $43 per ride.

To be fair, Brey notes, “All public transit is heavily subsidized, and many officials say it’s worth investing in options for people who don’t live near bus and train lines. But a key question is what microtransit is meant to accomplish.” For TransitCenter’s Chris Van Eyken, “Services should be judged on whether they increase overall ridership on a transit system,” and microtransit has not yet been shown to do so. The question remains whether microtransit offers “meaningful mobility at a community or city scale.”