What happened
On Oct. 15, Sugar Land City Council voted unanimously to enter into an interlocal agreement with Fort Bend County to allow the city to accept up to $1.5 million in funds for the city’s microtransit pilot program.
The estimated cost for the program will be $1.5 million per year, said Melanie Beaman, Sugar Land transportation and mobility manager.
The pilot will last three years and if there are any funds left over from the pilot, they will be used to expand the project based on needs determined during pilot, like additional vehicles or expanding the pilot service area zone, Communications Director Doug Adolph said.
The details
The program will offer at least seven on-demand electric vehicles, including one that is wheelchair accessible, for riders to request service via an app or phone call within the microtransit service area, Community Impact reported:
The service area includes:
- Sugar Land Regional Airport
- University of Houston at Sugar Land
- Two park-and-ride lots
- Smart Financial Centre
- Constellation Field
- Commercial shopping centers
- Area hospitals
Council member William Ferguson inquired as to why the boundaries for the microtransit pilot program were drawn as they were, excluding other parts of Sugar Land.
The pilot area was drawn with the boundaries it has because that area includes many popular destinations for riders and has the most disabled, low-income and elderly residents, Beaman said.
Beaman added that rider data will be gathered during the pilot to determine how the service can best serve the community in the future.
“The main thing to remember is this is just a pilot,” Beaman said. “It’s a test run to see how the service operates. We’re going to be collecting data during that test to see where people are wanting to go [and] where they’re coming from.”
Looking ahead
On Sept. 11, Sugar Land requested proposals for vendors to facilitate the program and received five applicants which city staff is reviewing for consideration, Beaman said.
The city hopes to be able to offer microtransit services by December, Beaman said.
