Reed presented the council with several options moving forward, including using a rideshare system with city funds, pursue a third-party alternative paratransit service, seek a paratransit option with Capital Metro or not continue with a transit system.
City staff will look more in depth at costs and services for a paratransit services with Capital Metro and a nonprofit, per council guidance.
“The majority consensus was to not move forward with the rideshare program but to potentially pursue a separate paratransit service, whatever that looks like, whether that is with a nonprofit community, whether that is with Cap Metro,” Mayor Josh Schroeder said.
During the Jan. 26 City Council workshop, the council was propositioned a microtransit service by Capital Metro, known as Pickup, with two options: one for $350,000 annually and the other for $500,000 annually, Reed said during the March 23 presentation.
Reed noted that Capital Metro expressed concerns that, that would not provide enough funds to meet acceptable service standards.
Since the last City Council workshop, staff contacted private rideshare companies, such as Lyft and Uber, to see if a micro-transit program with them would be possible, Reed said.
Lyft responded by saying that it has passes for prequalifying users but does not have wheelchair-accessible vehicles, which would have to be provided by an outside vendor, Reed said. Uber did not respond to communication attempts, he added.
This program is separate from the city's GoGeo fixed-route bus system, which saw few riders and had council redetermining how to provide public transportation.
