West Covina, CA and Via launch on-demand microtransit program, "Go West Covina"

November 19, 2024 (WEST COVINA, CA) – West Covina is launching a new on-demand transportation service, Go West Covina, in partnership with Via Transportation, beginning Monday, November 18, 2024. The project is funded in part by a grant from LA Metro's Visionary Seed Fund program. The new service offers a more flexible alternative to traditional bus routes, providing on-demand, app-based transit in vehicles.

The app is available in the App Store and Google Play. 

Key Features of the Service:

• Operating Hours: Monday to Friday, from 7AM to 7 PM, with a fleet of four vehicles and one wheelchair-accessible vehicle.
• Free for Riders: No fare for rides (while funding is available)
• Eligibility: Riders must be at least 13 years old to use the service independently.
• On-Demand Rides: Riders can book trips via a smartphone app or by calling the service’s call center. The service uses real-time routing to optimize shared rides, improving efficiency and sustainability.
• Flexible Scheduling: Riders can request trips immediately, book rides for a future date and time, or subscribe for regular trips.
• Eco-Friendly and Efficient: The service uses Via’s TransitTech platform, which combines live data and smart routing to ensure shared trips, reducing the number of vehicles on the road and lowering environmental impact.
• Service Area: The pilot will operate within a limited area of West Covina, bound by the City limits on the east, west, and north, extending south to just beyond Merced Avenue and connecting to Metrolink train stations in Baldwin Park and Covina. See the Service Map at the link below or in the App.

“As we continue to evolve our city's transportation options, the introduction of the new micro transit program marks a significant step forward in creating a more flexible, efficient, and sustainable system,” said Mayor Brian Calderón Tabatabai. “This program is designed to meet the needs of our community by offering on-demand, accessible transportation that connects residents to key destinations.”

The City’s existing Red and Blue shuttle services will continue through January 2025. These routes will be phased out on February 1, 2025, as Go West Covina becomes the primary service for the area. The Green Line and Dial-A-Ride services will continue uninterrupted.

This pilot project marks a major step toward enhancing mobility and providing more flexible, eco-friendly transportation options for West Covina residents.

Please visit www.westcovina.org/gowestcovina for more information or to download the app. 

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About Via:

Founded in 2012, Via pioneered the TransitTech category by using new technologies to develop public mobility systems — optimizing networks of buses, shuttles, wheelchair accessible vehicles, school buses, autonomous vehicles, and electric vehicles around the globe. Building the world’s most efficient, equitable, and sustainable transportation network for all riders — including those with limited mobility, those without smartphones, and unbanked populations — Via works with its partners to lower the costs of public transit while providing transportation options that rival the convenience of a personal car while reducing the environmental impact. At the intersection of transportation and technology, Via is a visionary market leader that combines software innovation with sophisticated service design and operational expertise to fundamentally improve the way the world moves, providing technology in 700 communities and more than 35 countries and counting.