The new model will start being phased in July 15, and SCAT buses will continue operation for two weeks after that.
Micro-transit, like ride-sharing, will allow riders to call or use a website or app to get a ride in 15-20 minutes or to schedule advance rides. It will get riders directly to their destination at a lower cost, $2 each way, Jason Via, Springfield’s deputy director of public safety and operations, said.
“To the regular (SCAT) riders, I just acknowledge ... change is difficult, but not having this (system) would be more difficult,” Mayor Rob Rue said. “So we, I think, need to take the least difficult route here and support this.”
Transdev, SCAT’s parent company, was ready to provide a 90-day notice to exit its contract in November, Heck said. That would have left the city without a public transportation provider.
Many oppose the change, want fixed routes
Several riders staunchly opposed the change at a contentious public meeting earlier in the day. They shared concerns related to reliability of the new service, cost and accessibility for those with wheelchair or carts, as well as making it to their destinations on time.
Ernee Lincoln, a Springfield resident, said she didn’t see the need for the change and sees the current system as effective and she and others rely on the fixed route system.
Representatives from the city, Clark County Springfield Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC), Via Transportation and Ohio Department of Transportation answered questions during the meeting.
Via Transportation, unaffiliated with Jason Via, is managing the contract. Clara Canales, project manager for Via Transportation, said the company will work to ensure riders’ accessibility needs are met.
Attendees often spoke over each other or the speakers answering questions.
Less than half a percent of residents use current SCAT
Amy Riley, Myers Market employee, told the News-Sun after the earlier meeting that she likes the micro-transit model idea. Riley’s case worker often transports her to places she needs to go and she walks to work, but she said she sometimes uses the bus.
Having a form of transportation that takes her directly to where she needs to go rather than a bus stop that could be blocks away would be much more convenient, Riley said. She said she would schedule her ride similar to how she schedules her day when she plans to ride the bus.
Many of those opposed may be afraid of change, Riley said.
Darcy Bisker, Springfield resident, said the city was not effectively communicating with bus riders. She said the city should encourage ridership of the buses.
Around 400-500 people in Springfield ride SCAT buses, which is less than half a percent of the total Springfield population, Via said.
There are an average of 4.3 riders each trip on the current fixed-route buses, Glen Massie, TCC planner, said. Paratransit routes see eight people for day and there are 16 daily using the Dial-a-Ride service.
Reducing time riders spend waiting
The new system will pick up riders who call or use the app or website to request a ride and will place nearby riders on the same vans as makes sense, Alex Lavoie, Via Transportation chief operating officer, said. Drivers can be tracked on the app or by calling to check their progress. Changes to destination can be made as needed.
The goal is to reduce headways or the time from the arrival of one bus to another to the same location, said Kayla Kinkead, small urban transit coordinator with NEORide, which was contracted to evaluate the role of micro-transit. It will also eliminate the need to transfer from one bus to another to reach the desired destination.
Massie and others, like city commissioner Tracey Tackett, rejected the idea that the micro-transit planned was not shared with residents. The city has had an FAQ and avenue for public feedback on its website since 2022 and has publicly worked toward the change for several years.
Kevin Frazier, president of Local 1385, which represents SCAT bus drivers, said Transdev had not received a 30-day notice of termination of service. He said he would “not allow our people to come, and neither will Transdev,” to staff the new system.
How will it work?
The new micro-transit system will work similar to rideshare apps like Lyft and Uber, but at the same price point as SCAT rides, it will be much more affordable, officials said.
Passengers will be picked up in branded Toyota Siennas, and riders will be paired with others headed in the same direction. “Virtual bus stops” at a convenient and safe location will be created for nearby riders, the company said previously.
There will be virtual bus stops and direct-to-door service for those with mobility challenges.
Riders can book on-demand rides through a smartphone and tablet app, website and calls. Paratransit riders, those who need wheelchair-accessible vehicles, will have the ability to pre-book rides in advance. Riders will be able to pay by cash or credit card.
The system aims to expand access for older adults, as well as disabled riders. Some of the 16 vans will be wheelchair-accessible with rear entry access.
A full fare for an end-to-end journey in the new model will cost $2, or in some cases, a reduced fare of $1. Prices will remain the same for the current SCAT bus system for groups like students and for paratransit, which is $4.
Bulk passes currently available through SCAT will also be offered under the new system.
The system is tailored to Springfield and will be similar to a service Via Transportation launched in Lorain County near Cleveland earlier this year.
With the city relying on around 80% of funding for its public transportation system being from the Federal Transportation Authority, it would be impossible for the city to provide the service if that funding were lost, Heck said.
Via said there is no indication this funding will be lost but the contract provides for that possibility.
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