Georgetown City Council decided to end the system, according to an Aug. 3 news release, after debating the future of public transportation since November. The city’s contract with Capital Metro will expire at the end of September.
“The city of Georgetown remains committed to providing exceptional services where they are needed,” Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder said in the release. “The council has been very forward-thinking and proactive with regard to providing some form of public transit to meet our residents’ needs. The current fixed-route system has not produced the expected ridership.”
The city’s paratransit service, which the Capital Area Rural Transportation System runs as a subcontractor for Capital Metro, serves 235 riders, according to the city.
The cost for continuing the paratransit service is estimated at $271,140. The city would pay $162,684, and the Federal Transit Administration would cover the remaining cost through a federal match. However, city officials anticipate the number of qualified riders to increase with the loss of the fixed-route service and anticipates asking for additional funding in the fiscal year 2021-22 budget to cover the increased expenses.
The paratransit service is only available to people with disabilities. CARTS provides eligibility and screening for paratransit services through a paper application.
Through a partnership with Capital Metro, the city launched the service in 2017 with a three-year service agreement. Since its inception, Georgetown has spent $1.4 million on both fixed-route and paratransit services, the release said. Georgetown is also in the process of trying to implement citywide microtransit services, such as ridesharing and Capital Metro's Pickup rideshare program.
