From .
The City of Arlington has with vans operated by Via, an on-demand ridesharing service. Arlington is the first city in Texas to take this step, and it鈥檚 among the first cities in the country to try eliminating buses. Supporters of the idea say it is more cost-effective for the city and more efficient for riders. whether all of the city鈥檚 bus riders will continue to have access to public transit.
, the mayor of Arlington, says the vans are more convenient than buses because they provide nearly door-to-door service. A ride on Arlington鈥檚 Via van is $3. The service area is in the northern part of the city, and includes downtown, the entertainment district and the University of Texas at Arlington area. Williams says the service area will eventually expand throughout the city.
Williams compares the system to Uber or Lyft, ride-hailing services that allow customers to order a ride using a smartphone app and a credit card. In Arlington, Via uses six-passenger vans, and passengers share the ride with other customers.
The program, which began in January, is a one-year pilot project. Williams says things are going well.
鈥淲ith the success we鈥檝e already had, I feel certain that we鈥檒l be expanding it and lengthening it,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd it is one piece of Arlington鈥檚 public transportation system.鈥�
For people who don鈥檛 have a smartphone or credit card, there鈥檚 a phone number customers can call to request a ride. Riders without a credit card can pay cash for the service, using a cash card.
Arlington is a city of nearly 400,00 residents.
Written by Shelly Brisbin.
Copyright 2020 KUT 90.5. To see more, visit . 9(MDAxODQzOTgwMDEyMTcyNjI4MTAxYWQyMw004))