Georgetown council weighs in on transit-on-demand program

Published: Wed, 09/27/23

Georgetown council weighs in on transit-on-demand program

Georgetown City Council discussed a possible Transit on Demand program at its Sept. 26 workshop.
(Zacharia Washington/Community Impact)

Community Impact
By Zacharia Washington
Updated 4:55 PM Sep 26, 2023 CDT

Georgetown residents who rely on public transit could have more options as early as next year.

Two-minute impact

At a Sept. 26 workshop meeting, Transportation Manager Lua Saluone proposed the city develop a Transit on Demand program.

A Transit on Demand program provides a partnership with transportation network companies for a cost-effective and accessible transportation option geared toward residents who rely on public transit, according to city documents.

City staff is looking to publish a request for proposal, or RFP, to kick-start the development of the program; however, feedback from council was needed first.

Zooming in

Saluone outlined objectives staff is looking to include in the RFP:

Provides vehicles with wheelchair access
Max of $10 voucher per trip; rider pays the first $2, and the city covers up to the next $10
Benefits of 24/7 service, including weekends and holidays, and is open to a wider age range
Service area of city limits and urbanized areas

The contract for the RFP could run for one to five years.

It would cost the city between $90,000-$100,000 to develop the Transit on Demand program, Saluone said. There would be an additional cost for the voucher program, which is $90,000 for a full year.

Quotes of note

A majority of the council was in favor of a one-year RFP for the proposed Transit on Demand program. Council was also in support of the program starting as soon as possible.

“Doing it as a one-year ... I think makes a whole lot more sense,” Council Member Kevin Pitts said at the workshop. “I think if we could get it started up sooner than later, I would be supportive of getting it started.”

“This is a great solution potentially for our community to reach more people in our community that need this type of service,” Council Member Amanda Parr said. “Absolutely ready to move forward sooner than later. I think one year is fair with all of the other things we have going on in the city.”

What happens next?

Saluone said the RFP is anticipated to be completed in October, and the contract could be awarded in March.

Advertising and outreach to develop the program would then begin, and it could take up to six months.

By Zacharia Washington - Zacharia joined Community Impact in January 2022 after a year spent working at the Texas Observer. She is a government reporter covering Cedar Park, Georgetown, Leander and Liberty Hill. Prior to CI, Zacharia graduated from Huston-Tillotson University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in communication; shortly after, she graduated from The University of Texas with a master’s degree in journalism and media. Zacharia has a passion for journalism, service and the community, and she's honored to work at a place with the same values as her own.

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