The Massachusetts-based Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) received $459,430 in Discretionary Funding from MassDOT to pilot an on-demand microtransit service with Via in Westborough.

The project will be the first public-private transit partnership in the Central Massachusetts region that will introduce on-demand microtransit. The project will replace the community shuttle the WRTA currently operates in Town of Westborough, and it will provide a “Transportation-as-a-Service” (TaaS) model to the WRTA using Via, a private provider.

Via’s technology directs passengers to a nearby virtual bus stop within a short walking distance for pick up and drop off, allowing for quick and efficient shared trips without lengthy detours, or inconvenient fixed routes and schedules. The technology enables on-demand, shared rides through routing determined by Via’s algorithm. Via is not only a technology provider, but has the operational know-how to create a scalable, customizable technology to offer to the public sector.

The company has already partnered with some of the world’s largest public transit agencies to solve pressing transportation needs, including the Los Angeles Metro, Transport for London, Sydney’s Transport for New South Wales, and Berlin’s Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe.