Metro Transit expands on-demand pilot program

Last fall, Metro Transit launched a one-year, on-demand ride pilot in parts of three north Minneapolis neighborhoods, and because the service has been so well-received, it's now adding all or parts of three more.

Metro Transit Micro, which went live Sept. 10, will offer expanded service starting Monday. It operates much like suburban services, including SouthWest Prime, Plymouth Metrolink's Click-and-Ride, Maple Grove's My Ride and the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority's Connect.

"The goal is to expand mobility choices, especially for low-income areas and communities of color," said project manager Victoria Dan. "We hope to see a boost in overall ridership and see the true potential on how well it can perform."

Riders use an app or call a phone number to request a ride. A small bus similar to those used for Metro Mobility — the door-to-door service for people with disabilities unable to use traditional transit options — is sent to their location and takes them to their destination anywhere in the service zone.

Micro riders pay the same fares as those taking other Metro Transit bus lines or trains: $2 during off-peak times and $2.50 when rush-hour fares are collected. Seniors and children ages 6 through 12 pay $1 per ride during off-peak times. Micro riders can transfer to other bus and rail lines at no extra cost.

In the five-month period that ended Jan. 31, Metro Transit Micro provided more than 6,800 rides throughout the service zone bounded by Interstate 94 to the east, Interstate 394 to the south, Theodore Wirth Parkway to the west and Golden Valley Road and West Broadway to the north.

With five buses circulating throughout the 2.5-square-mile area covering the Near North, Bryn Mawr and Harrison neighborhoods, wait times have been short, adding to the service's growing popularity, Dan said. The average time from request to pickup has been about 6 minutes, she said.

Community feedback and interest from North Side organizations led to expanding into the Willard-Hay, Jordan and Hawthorne neighborhoods, Dan said. The borders for the ride zone in the south and west will remain unchanged but will expand to 34th Avenue on the north end and to the area along the Mississippi River north of Broadway on the east end.

"We have existing resources to serve even more trips," Dan said. "We hope people will use the service to connect to the fixed route network."

Geography isn't the only thing changing Monday. Micro also will have new hours: 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

As for additional expansion, that's still to be determined, Dan said. This spring, Metro Transit will conduct an in-depth evaluation to find out exactly who is using the service and why.

"We have seen different models in the Twin Cities," Dan said. "We're interested to see what the future of micro transit could look like."