A fairly new concept known as microtransit may be coming to Brownsville to help plug holes in the city’s public transportation system.

The city has received a $300,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration to conduct a MicroTransit Implementation Study. Microtransit is meant to improve the transit rider’s experience via small-scale, on-demand public transportation services, according to the city.

The concept is similar to Uber or Lyft, but in public transportation setting. It uses smaller vehicles to connect passengers to bus routes or transfer stations within the service system, with passengers requesting service through an app. The city said Brownsville Metro will use the completed study to implement microtransit in parts of the city currently without bus routes.

“We are excited to accept this grant and to focus on ways to improve transit experiences for our citizens,” said Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez said. “Public transportation is essential for communities. With the funding assistance from the (FTA) we look forward to providing an innovative solution for the community.”

Arlington, Denton County and Harris County are among Texas communities that have already implemented micro-transit systems.

“This an amazing opportunity for our city,” said Joel Garza Jr., the city’s multimodal transportation director. “We are thrilled to launch this study, and work with the (FTA) on innovative ways to improve the lives of our families in Brownsville.”