Think of microtransit as a publicly-funded Uber-style service that's meant to bridge the gap between fixed-route buses and private ride-sharing services.
If Lextran were to implement a pilot microtransit service, it would operate in two regions of the city — between Versailles Road and Newtown Pike and from Alexandria Drive to Newtown. While the idea has backing on city council, Lextran warns even a pilot will come with a hefty price tag.
"They estimate it will cost a little over $2 million to do a two-year pilot for this service," Adrian Bryant with CivicLex says. "Lextran does not have, at the moment, $2 million to spend on this. They've repeatedly said that they do not have the money for a good microtransit pilot."
But the council has allotted $250,000 to go toward a pilot in their budget. The hope is that Lextran could leverage those dollars through federal grants or donations to fund the microtransit project.