What you need to know
Chief Operating Officer Maurice Bell presented a program overview for Collin County Rides during an Oct. 26 board of directors meeting. The board unanimously approved three agreements and two task orders in preparation for Feb. 1, when the transportation authority is slated to take over the program:
- Funding agreement with the North Central Texas Council of Governments
- Interlocal agreement with the city of Allen
- Interlocal agreement with the town of Fairview
- Task order with Irving Holdings Inc.
- Task order with Lyft
The third year option will be based on funding availability, President and CEO Paul Cristina said. The transportation authority will need to be in constant communication with the council of governments and the cities on how long the program can be funded with the current agreements, he said.
“We’re entering into this with a lot of unknown with regard to demand and the demand growth,” Cristina said. “It’s very important for everyone to understand that, right now, we’re looking at a base two-year program, and if money’s available we go into the third year.”
The details
Three taxis will operate between 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to a staff presentation. The service area will include Collin County and Dallas Area Rapid Transit locations within Collin County, Bell said.
Rides must either begin or end in Allen or Fairview.
Customers will be able to book trips by phone or through the Spare Labs app, according to the presentation. Fare costs will remain the same, but staff are evaluating feasibility of a special feature similar to DART’s fare structure.
Under DART, Collin County Rides customers pay 25% of trip costs until they spend $125 in a calendar month. Then they pay 100% of the trip costs.
The Collin County Rides program currently operates between 5 a.m.-midnight Monday through Saturday, according to the staff presentation. Rides are also available between 7 a.m.-midnight on Sundays and holidays.
