RideCo announced it recently celebrated an expansion to a fourth microtransit zone in San Antonio, as it continues to work alongside San Antonio's VIA Metropolitan Transit and its subcontractor zTrip to expand VIA Link service.

A Look at VIA Link

VIA Link focuses on creating mobility options in low-density areas where operating a fixed route is not a cost-effective option.

The on-demand transit service provides a first-and-last-mile solution to connect people with fixed-route transit hubs.

In a recent VIA Metropolitan Transit Board Joint Working Session, it was noted that "VIA Link operations are approximately 75% less expensive than the equivalent 20-minute fixed-route service operating seven days a week."

The performance metrics of the service include average on-time performance above 95%, average wait times of about 15 minutes, and an average 4.7 out of five-star rating.

"Our entire team is focused on being a leader in providing the San Antonio community with an innovative mobility solution that enables better connectivity to our greater transit network," said David Vidal, VIA's manager of Contract Services. "With VIA Link, we continue to deliver cost-effective service to a growing percentage of the community, and that is a credit to our team along with our trusted partners, RideCo and zTrip."

New RideCo Zone

The new Randolph zone covers an 18-square-mile area, including Brooke Army Medical Center and Randolph Transit Center, and provides transit to employment hubs including Amazon, H-E-B, and others.

"The long-standing and proactive partnership we have with VIA Metropolitan Transit and zTrip makes it possible to meet and exceed key performance indicators, including a 95% on-time performance and best-in-class cost per trip of less than fourteen dollars," said Prem Gururajan, co-founder/CEO of RideCo. "By demonstrating this strong performance, VIA Metropolitan Transit is an agency others will want to emulate when deploying transit for the future."