The breakdown
Township Director of Transportation Ruthanne Haut presented the plan before board members on March 26, which would provide an app-based transit service with a fleet of electric vehicles similar to ride-share services like Uber and Lyft. Haut said existing transit services like The Woodlands Trolley only follow fixed routes in the Town Center area, whereas the on-demand vehicle transit would be able to go anywhere within a geographically mapped area.
"It's flexible, it's convenient. It's [a] non-fixed route. Our trolleys are a fixed route service; they don't deviate, so this can kind of take you anywhere within that geomapped area," Haut said. "It improves that last mile, first mile connectivity, and it's really driven by that data, that software and optimizing those rides."
Haut said the program has been successful in areas like Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the service runs through the area's entertainment and hotel districts. Board member Linda Nelson said she had seen firsthand the service in Fort Lauderdale, and said the option would be helpful for those who do not want to spend money on an Uber or Lyft ride, which may not pick up riders for short distance rides.
"These are just as easy as moving around the trolley," Nelson said. "I love the trolley, but you're just on their route. If you're on lunch time and you want to go from The [Woodlands] Waterway to Hughes Landing, ... that would be something to call them real quickly and go."
The cost
Haut said if the township sought to move forward on developing a version of the program, the board could either choose to locally fund the program—which would provide greater freedom to the township to shift the program as needed—or seek grant funds which may come with a number of additional requirements to ensure compliance.
Based on preliminary projections, Haut said the program would cost the township, on average, just over $1 million annually to operate six to eight vehicles on the service, which covers an operation schedule of seven days a week from 8 a.m. to midnight. Haut said an additional $40,000 would also be needed for marketing purposes during its first year if authorized, as well as a supervisory position to oversee customer service concerns.
The action taken
Board members unanimously agreed to look further into the possibility of creating the service as the board prepares to hold its annual strategic planning session, where board members will discuss future goals and priorities for the township. The board also requested Haut look to potential grant funds through the Houston-Galveston Area Council to help offset the cost of the service if the board agrees to make it a priority in the 2026 budget initiatives.
