More people are using public transportation in Georgetown following the fall 2017 launch of the city’s GoGeo bus system. But GoGeo will need to attract more riders in 2018 to meet targets for its first year in service, according to ridership data from Aug. 21-Dec. 31, the most recent data available from the city. As a whole, GoGeo provided a 50 percent increase in rides during its initial months than rides provided during the same time in 2016 when Georgetown’s only public transportation option was the curb-to-curb service through the Capital Area Rural Transportation system, also known as CARTS. GoGeo’s fixed-route performance measures show the system was below target levels for fi scal year 2017-18 in several areas during its initial months, including passengers per revenue hour and cost per passenger.

Monthly riders by bus route:

Route 471: East side/Southwestern University Route 472: St. David's Georgetown Hospital/Leander Road Route 473: Austin Avenue/Williams Drive Route 474: Wolf Ranch
The system’s four routes averaged between 3.04 and 3.55 passengers per revenue hour, below a target of six passengers per revenue hour, according to data. Cost per revenue hour and a 95 percent on-time performance measure were on target for all routes. A city staff report said more public outreach is needed to boost ridership, and the city is working with Capital Metro, the Austin transit authority that helped developed GoGeo and is monitoring ridership levels, to build new outreach and promotion plans. City officials hope GoGeo will complete 40,000 passenger trips in its first year. The system completed 8,008 between its fixed routes and its on-demand service from Aug. 21-Dec. 31, according to ridership data.