Case Study
West Sacramento On-Demand
West Sacramento, California, USA
Suburban
First and last mile, General transportation, Microtransit
10 vehicles
50,000
residents in the city
59.2
square km service zone
Overview
The City of West Sacramento faces many of the same mobility challenges as other small American cities. Despite their geographic proximity, West Sacramento and Sacramento are in different transit districts, and lack of coordination between the two cities’ transit networks means public transit commute times can reach up to 90 minutes. Moreover, the City’s pedestrian network is highly impermeable and presents a barrier to walking, even short distances. These factors and others have made single-occupancy vehicle travel the overwhelming mode of choice in the City.
Solution
With no dedicated vehicles or operators at their disposal and a relatively limited budget, Via created a flexible, externally-operated service to achieve the City’s specific goals:
1. Provide regular, reliable transit options to residents, particularly seniors and those from disadvantaged communities.
2. Gather data to inform the city’s mobility action plan.
In May 2018, Via launched a flat-fare citywide service with 10 Mercedes Metris vans that offers residents fast, convenient access to transit. We worked closely with the City to ensure that the service is accessible — unbanked individuals can pay with cash or a dedicated stored value card, and riders have the option to request a wheelchair-accessible ride. Rides are $3.50, or $1.75 for seniors. Via’s service complements existing transit by providing connection to rail and bus services that link West Sacramento to downtown Sacramento and that extend to rural Yolo County.
West Sacramento’s microtransit service has received exceptional public feedback since launch, and has provided nearly 100,000 rides.
Via has been an incredible partner. Working hand-in-hand with the City, Via helped us design an innovative, rightsized transit solution tailored to our community’s needs, leveraging both their advanced ridematching technology and operational expertise.”
It’s a godsend.”
Ready to get started?
Provide a few quick details, and our team will reach out to show you what's possible.
Talk to our team