Wait times are an average of 15 minutes.
Reggie Troutman, Springfield small business coordinator, said the system is at 92% efficiency and the goal is 94%.
“What that means is that everybody on both sides are getting what they’re asking for, so if you go on there (the app) or if you call and you get a ride or you apply for a ride, that ride is coming within a certain amount of time; it’s not being canceled,” Troutman said.
Vans will be numbered sometime this month, Troutman said.
“On the good side, say for instance, if a van is coming to get you at Walmart, there’s three vans outside; how do I know which van is mine?” Troutman said. “Or, on the other side, let’s say a driver is driving crazy and sporadically, how do you identify that?”
The rides are on-demand and can be called through the Field Trips app or phone call. Those with mobility considerations can pre-book rides for door-to-door service.
There are 16 Field Trips vans, and each has a capacity of up to seven people. The system was introduced in July.
The service is for the entire city and up to three-fourths of a mile outside city limits.
Riders traveling the same way are paired with others through both the Field Trips and Field Trips Assist programs.
Rides can be booked on the app or website at city.ridewithvia.com/field-trips or by calling 937-328-7228. The app and call center can be accessed in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.
For more information, visit city.ridewithvia.com/field-trips.
Field Trips replaced SCAT buses after a study found they no longer met the needs of Springfield residents. Less than half a percent of people in the city rode the buses, and there were an average of 4.3 riders per trip, according to city data.
Parents or guardians can ride in the vans to take their children to school and then be taken to work, which would count as one trip for the parent and one trip for the student, Troutman said.
Vans operate 6:40 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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