Henderson’s Around Town Shuttle worked well for a good long time, but KARTS Executive Director Randy Cantor said it’s time for an upgrade to a more efficient concept that is designed more like the rideshare Uber than a city bus line with set stops.
Cantor, who has been in the KARTS role for about a year, said the four-county service area can be challenging. There are many employees driving many vehicles across a large geographical area, he said on Monday’s TownTalk. He assured rural clients that their services would continue as they have been – residents need only call 252.438.2573 at least 48 hours in advance to arrange transportation for doctor visits or other appointments.
But the closed-loop Around Town Shuttle that had run in Henderson is being replaced by an on-demand group of vehicles that clients can schedule by calling the KARTS dispatcher or by using their Smart phone or app.
Right now, KARTS as a whole operates on a cash-only basis, said KARTS Finance Manager Tonya Moore. But when the new micro transit concept kicks in, payment will then be possible with a card or with a phone app.
Cantor said changing the model has nothing to do with how KARTS is operating and everything to do with providing the best and most efficient service possible to clients. He said he hoped that round-trip fares for the Henderson service would be in the $10 range, but setting the price is not up to him or KARTS.
KARTS gets state and federal funding, and counties also contribute, but it’s never enough to fully cover expenses. Moore said the Around Town Shuttle had cost $1 every time a rider used the shuttle. The once robust ridership, however, had dwindled to about 300 rides a month. Cantor said using an on-demand service would be more efficient than having a shuttle drive around Henderson in a circle five days a week, eight hours a day, 40 hours a week.
Since the ability to call and arrange transportation exists and stressing that the Around Town Shuttle was only one aspect of KARTS, Cantor agreed that there is not really a gap in coverage.
The Around Town Shuttle stopped running June 30.
The newer style transportation offering may be available in as few as a couple of months.
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