We sat down with Jason Via, the City of Springfield’s acting City Manager, to hear how the City successfully replaced a 60-year-old fixed-route bus network with an on-demand microtransit system, slashing wait times and nearly quadrupling ridership—all without increasing their bottom line.
To get started, Jason, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do for the city?
My current role is the acting City Manager, but my day job is the Deputy Director of Public Safety and Operations. My workload mostly consists of public safety-related projects, but I also oversee transportation, emergency management, capital projects, and strategic initiatives. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been very closely involved with the transformation of our transit system.
With all the different hats you wear, how did transit become a part of your portfolio?
Our transit system has always been a team approach—a collaborative effort across offices. . The City Manager wanted to pull it into his office to ensure we had clear oversight of the system. Knowing it was going to need a transformation, he wanted it to be something we could stay on top of and be very thoughtful and intentional about changing.
Prior to the transformation, what were you seeing in the SCAT system that made everyone think it might be time for a change?
Our system had been in place for about 60 years as a traditional fixed-route system. I was hearing in various meetings that transportation was becoming a major barrier for many people in the city. It affects our ridership day-to-day—whether it’s getting to school, work, healthcare, or just going to the grocery store.
The existing model was simply not meeting today's needs, geographically or in terms of convenience. Riders had limited abilities to get where they needed to go in an efficient amount of time. Often, they were waiting over an hour if they missed a bus or needed to transition between buses. We saw an opportunity to redesign and reimagine our system in a way that meets our riders where they are and connects them to their destinations more effectively.
You explored a few different options alongside the Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC). How did you land on citywide microtransit as the right solution for Springfield?
I want to give the Clark County TCC credit; they were heavily involved on the front end. They were seeing that ridership was dwindling, and the service was no longer meeting the community's needs. Unfortunately, buses were running whether they had 30 people on them or two. The model just wasn't scalable or flexible enough to provide a dynamic service.
Geographically, Springfield is about 25 square miles. Point-to-point, you can traverse the city in 15 to 20 minutes. . When we looked at supplementing the old system by splitting the city into quadrants, we didn't feel like transfers would be helpful. We wanted riders to get picked up near where they were and driven near their destination without having to change vehicles at an arbitrary point in town.
How has this new microtransit system improved transit coverage and accessibility compared to the fixed-route network?
Under the previous structure, we covered roughly 60% of the city. We’ve been able to increase that exponentially. Riders can now get picked up anywhere within our city limits—no more having to walk to a bus line first. That model has provided a much better opportunity to attract new ridership.
It has also dropped our wait times significantly; many times, our riders are only waiting about 15 to 20 minutes. Traditionally, transit systems have operated on a "come to us" model. Modernizing that approach means meeting people where they are, coming out into the community more, and effectively connecting people to their destinations.
Switching from large, fixed-route buses to a fleet of about 16 minivans is a big change. How did you work through stakeholders and get buy-in for that vision?
There was some skepticism at first. What we kept coming back to in those conversations was the intended outcomes: What kind of coverage did we want? What did we want wait times, ridership, accessibility, and cost to look like?
Working with the TCC, elected officials, riders, community organizations, service providers, and city staff, we tried to look at it in a whole new way. Large buses were comfortable, safe, and timely, but we felt we could accomplish all those things with different vehicles. We decided on minivans because we wanted a vehicle that was accessible for everyone. They're easy to get in and out of with groceries, they don't require stepping high up into a vehicle, and they can still take several people at one time.
The branding and the name, "Field Trips," feels very Springfield. How did you come up with it?
We reviewed dozens of different names. We wanted to bring a fresh perspective and a new way to think about using transit. At some point, I just said, "What about Field Trips?" It ties back to Springfield, but it also elicits this idea of something fun, enjoyable, or something you're looking forward to. We worked internally and with Via’s team on the logo and vehicle design because we wanted the vans to stand out as a bright spot in our community.
When evaluating vendors to bring this to life, what were the most important qualities you were looking for?
The most important thing was finding a true partnership. We wanted a turnkey service, but we knew we couldn't just copy and paste what worked elsewhere. We needed to modify, adapt, and be flexible to meet our community's specific needs. That’s where Via really stood out.
Beyond the partnership, the software, technology, and rider experience were vital. We wanted riders to get to their destinations efficiently and safely. Being able to connect through an app or by calling in to schedule a ride allowed us to customize the service so it was inclusive and accessible for everyone.
Operating for a little over a year now, how do the ridership numbers and budget compare to the previous system?
Previously, we were serving roughly 400 unique riders in a city of approximately 60,000 people. We had to make a decision that would support those 400 riders while opening up opportunities for the rest of the community.
Today, we’re sitting at about 1,500 unique riders, and the service continues to grow month over month. Right around our one-year mark, we surpassed 100,000 rides. From a budgetary standpoint, we’ve maintained our budget—if not decreased it a little bit. Our turnkey contract keeps our budget very stable, ensuring we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars while allowing us to keep rides affordable at $2 each way.
Transitioning meant a lot of community engagement, especially for older adults or those without smartphones. How did you ensure nobody was left behind?
From the start, our goal was to ensure technology expanded access rather than creating a barrier. The service can still be reached at the exact same phone number we had before, and we still accept exact cash for trips. We didn't want to exclude anyone who had traditionally relied on the system in the past.
We got out into the community to spread the word. I learned something new every time we visited a different location. If someone calls and says, "I'm a new rider and I'm having trouble with the system," I see that as a win—it means we have a new rider. It’s an opportunity to engage, explain the system, and connect someone who wouldn't have ridden before. We also made sure we provided modified vehicles for those with different mobility needs to keep the system fully accessible.
If you could offer one piece of advice for another city contemplating replacing a fixed-route system with microtransit, what would it be?
Start with the problem you're trying to solve. Look at where people live, where they need to go, your current wait times, your cost per trip, and who you currently aren't serving because of how your system operates.
Challenge assumptions, ask questions, and over-communicate. Listen to your riders, involve your stakeholders—businesses, service providers, schools—and look at the issue from all angles. Most importantly, don't be afraid to make a change. Evaluate with data, understand the situation, and be open-minded. The goal is always to provide better service and more mobility options, and sometimes that requires a significant change from the way things have always been done.