We spoke to some riders of our US-based services to get a sense of what on-demand transportation means to them. From small-town North Carolina to big-city Texas, our Rider Profiles present microtransit in the eyes of those who depend on it most. Click here to explore more.
Before 2017, it was hard to get anywhere in Arlington, Texas, without owning a personal vehicle. The city only offered one fixed route bus service that operated on a single line. But that changed when the city of Arlington partnered with Via to replace the bus with microtransit. Arlington’s new on-demand service expanded public transportation coverage to previously unconnected areas of the city, giving residents and visitors access to more of the city. Riders use a mobile app to instantly book a seat in a shared vehicle with others going the same way, while Via’s routing technology minimizes detours and delays. “I gave up my car a couple of years ago and then started using Via, and I’ve kept using it due to its low cost ... It sure beats paying $60 a week in gas.” Jeremy, who owns his own airbrushing business and often travels to Arlington for work, has been a frequent Via user ever since a serendipitous discovery in 2018. He had taken the train from Fort Worth to the CentrePort TRE train station, and planned to take the bus to get to the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). There was just one problem: When he got to the train station, he saw the bus service no longer existed.
But then Jeremy noticed a black van that said “Arlington On-Demand” on the side. He approached the driver, who told him about the new service. Jeremy realized he not only had a way to get to UTA that day — he also had a better way to get around Arlington in general. “I gave up my car a couple of years ago and then started using Via, and I’ve kept using it due to its low cost,” he said. “It sure beats paying $60 a week in gas.” Via has been continually expanding its coverage zone in Arlington, which Jeremy appreciates: “The last expansion went all the way to the Tarrant County College’s Southeast Campus,” he said. “That was helpful to me, because occasionally I teach [airbrushing classes] out there.”
And now, Via’s service zone covers all of Arlington, giving residents like Jeremy an efficient way to get to work, school, and anywhere else in the city. “Arlington used to only have that one bus line,” he said. “Now, Via takes me everywhere I need to go.”
*Name has been changed to protect privacy.
