Transdev will deliver innovative digital solutions to open new public transit access for Tampa residents needing a ride.

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) required a ridesharing solution that could help transport residents typically unable to access public transit due to their distance from the transit network, from their home to four targeted bus stops. The “first mile, last mile” program, called HART HyperLINK, will also provide rides to deliver them home when their bus trip concludes. The subsidized ride shares will cost residents $3 each way.

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HART cited Transdev’s digital routing experience, the company’s approach to meeting the needs of transit riders with accessible vehicles and communication portals as reasons for the contract win. Transdev will introduce a new smartphone app to HART designed to solve many first mile, last mile problems transit agencies face throughout the country.

First mile, last mile solutions are desirable because they open up public transit access to residents who typically fall outside of the system’s scope based on geographical limitations of the transit network. Traditional for-hire providers are often too expensive to justify the expense of the short ride. The subsidized rides give transit access to residents and increase ridership for public transportation agencies.

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The pilot program will focus first on four select bus stops. Residents living within a certain radius of those stops will have the opportunity to test the app. Transdev is anticipating the pilot program will eventually lead to an expansion of the first mile, last mile initiative. A grant from the Florida Department of Transportation will fund the two-year-pilot.