The details
Michaela Joyce, Discover Bastrop director and Main Street manager, told Bastrop City Council that the interlocal agreement will help bolster local tourism.
“This partnership aligns with the city’s strategic goals to enhance accessibility, reduce congestion during major events and support tourism growth consistently with allowable HOT fund uses under Texas Tax Code Chapter 351,” she said in a Nov. 4 staff report.
The city of Bastrop will schedule the shuttle transportation services, which will be provided at a rate of $100 per hour, on an event-by-event basis, according to city documents.
“CARTS will invoice the city following the completion of each event,” Joyce said.
Also of note
The city of Bastrop and CARTS have previously partnered on other transportation initiatives.
The public agency, which is funded at the local, state and federal levels, spans 10 counties in Central Texas, and tailors services to each community’s needs. For the city of Bastrop, the primary need is CARTS Now—a microtransit, on-demand service.
“[CARTSNow] actually tells you who your driver is, you can see the van, and there’s a couple of options that you can choose from,” said Dana Platt, community engagement coordinator for CARTS. “Maybe you’re not ready in five minutes, and you want the van to come a little bit later. Those are some of the benefits with the app, and we’ve noticed that the app uses are increasing as opposed to the phone.”
The outlook
The interlocal agreement with CARTS for shuttle transportation services will be financed through the HOT fund and will not exceed $10,000 annually, according to city documents.
