On June 20, 2024, mayors from across the nation gathered at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ annual meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. In a meeting of the Council on Metro Economies and the New American City, public transit was front and center, taking the stage alongside topics like affordable housing, retirement programs for disadvantaged families, and strategies for accessing federal funds.
As reported by C-SPAN Mayor Guerrero, and Daniel Ramot, Via’s CEO, spoke about the unique role of transit in economic growth, and their experiences in building tech-enabled microtransit that grows ridership within the same budget, increases job access, and brings back sales tax revenue to our cities.
“[Microtransit] provides access to about 32,000 jobs… [people can] to get to their jobs and to other areas where they are spending their money locally. They find that they are able to save money. So it reduces their cost by 40%. And 56% say that they are going to spend their money locally. That investment that we are providing is bringing back sales tax revenue to our city. We are really grateful for the partnership this has provided,” says Mayor Martha Guerrero of the City of West Sacramento, California.
Read:
- Go behind the scenes of Via's transit operations
- Arlington Mayor says his city's microtransit network supported 3 Taylor Swift 'Eras Tour' concerts flawlessly
- How America’s mayors are transforming communities with tech-enabled transit services
Curious how to enhance your own transit networks to cover the first and last mile, providing more convenient, cost-effective public transportation options for residents? We’d love to chat!
