At an Aug. 6 meeting, Sugar Land City Council approved accepting a nearly $1.2 million Houston-Galveston Area Council grant to launch the Gulf Coast region's first microtransit pilot program.
What residents need to know
The limited-area service will provide residents affordable, on-demand access to a rideshare program, said Melanie Beaman, Sugar Land transportation and mobility manager.
The program aims to expand upon the Fort Bend Transit Program, which doesn’t offer many day-of trips and has limited availability, she said.
“People want to get where they need to go when they need to get there, and they don't want to maybe schedule ahead of time,” Beaman said. “They may not realize they need to go to the grocery store until the day of.”
The details
The program will initially launch with seven on-demand electric vehicles, including at least one that is wheelchair accessible, Beaman said.
Riders age 13 and older will be able to request services via an app or phone call within the microtransit service area, and a vehicle will arrive within 8-12 minutes. 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
The cost
The program will be funded by the HGAC’s Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Commuter and Transit Services Pilot Program grant as well as a $298,544 local match, which will come from Fort Bend County’s 2023 voter-approved mobility bond, according to City Council agenda documents.
Zooming out
The microtransit program is part of the city’s larger Mobility Master Plan adopted in July 2023 that aims to provide commuting alternatives to promote connectivity and help address congestion in the community, Beaman said.
Additionally, the microtransit program can provide a smaller footprint assisting the city's environmental air quality, she said.
Looking ahead
City staff plan to launch the microtransit pilot program this fall, Beaman said.
Beyond the three-year pilot, city staff would like to expand the service areas to serve the entire city, she said.
