In October 21st's Council Work Session, Councilmembers delayed a vote to give Lextran an additional $475k for a microtransit pilot until November 20th.
Microtransit is a broad term used to describe public transportation that typically provides door-to-door or curb-to-curb service using smaller vehicles like cars or vans. It often functions very similarly to Uber of Lyft, where a rider can book a ride on a public transit agency's app and a driver will pick them up and drop them off at or near their destination.
BUILD believes a microtransit service could fill existing transit gaps for people who live too far away from a bus stop who cannot afford private microtransit services like Uber or Lyft, and for whom Lextran’s paratransit Wheels service is too unreliable.
Some Councilmembers mentioned having recently learned about the Ride United program. Ride United is a microtransit service operated by United Way of the Bluegrass that provides free Lyft rides to Lexington residents who have no access to other transportation.
Lexington residents are eligible for one free round-trip per month. Trips must be for medical appointments or employment-related, such as a job interview or career fair.
Residents can call 211 to ask a United Way representative to schedule the trip.
Councilmembers want to hear a presentation from United Way about the Ride United service before committing additional money to Lextran.
Council is also hoping to hear from a transit agency in another US city that has an existing microtransit service. Councilmember Ellinger had tried to schedule a meeting with a representative from Birmingham, he said in Work Session, but he never heard back after several attempts.
If neither of these meetings happens by November 20th, Council could either delay the vote for a second time or move ahead with a decision on whether to fund Lextran's pilot.
Lextran's microtransit pilot would cost roughly $1.17 million to operate over one year. If Council allocated $475k – in addition to the $250k allocated earlier this year – Lextran would have to find an additional $443k in funding to operate the pilot. The pilot would serve an area of Lexington between Versailles Road and Newtown Pike. You can learn more about the pilot's design and costs here.
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How can you get involved? Reach out to Gregory Butler, Lextran's Planning and Community Development Manager, here!
Ideas for how to spend the fund balance include a roundabout study, improvements to the Black and Williams Center, and more money to Lextran for a microtransit pilot.
