The city of New Braunfels launched its long-awaited microtransit service, “Ride the Rio!” on Nov. 18. There are several ways to book, plan and pay for the new on-demand ride service.
“Ride the Rio!” is part of the city’s ongoing efforts to enhance public transportation and meet the growing mobility needs of residents, as previously reported by Community Impact.
Via Partnership Principal Thomas De Ridder said the service maximizes flexibility and convenience.
“Rapid population growth and the need for more flexible, convenient public transit options make New Braunfels a strong fit for a microtransit service like Rio,” De Ridder said.
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The service area encompasses most of the city limits and parts of the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction but excludes extensions of city limits that run along Krueger Canyon Road and FM 306.
For community members outside of the service area, the Alamo Regional Transit system is still available, according to the city.
The regional transit system can enter and exit the service area to pick up or drop off riders, but it cannot complete trips entirely within the zone, New Braunfels Transit Manager Julie Sitton said.
The service area map was created after an Alamo Area Metropolitan Plan Organization study, which began in 2019 and was completed in 2021, according to city officials.
The study showed possible strategies to improve public transit in New Braunfels, including fixed routes and a microtransit service, said Garry Ford, director of transportation and capital improvements.
How we got here
In November 2023, the city officially endorsed the hybrid transit plan. Hybrid transit plans consist of on-demand services like “Ride the Rio!” and fixed-route bus services. City officials decided the first step in this plan would be to implement the microtransit system.
The decision was made as fixed routes require a large initial investment, including the purchase of passenger buses and hiring and training staff to operate the fleet, which was deemed too cost-prohibitive, Ford said.
“We really don’t have the density to support a fixed route, and then the cost of putting that cash capital investment in is substantial,” Ford said.
New Braunfels City Council member Toni Carter said she was concerned about cutting off income to local rideshare drivers. However, operating hours ending before bars and restaurants close in the city eased those fears.
“Until folks start using it and we really see whether it’s a successful program or not, I’m just in a wait-and-see mode,” Carter said.
By the numbers
The first year of the service will primarily be funded by American Rescue Plan Act funds, which will account for about 65% of operational costs.
Additional funding will come from the New Braunfels Transit District’s designation as a “small urbanized area” by the Federal Transit Administration, Sitton said.
The FTA makes federal resources available for transit operating assistance and transportation-related planning in urbanized areas—defined as having populations of 50,000 or more.
State funds will be used to account for the 35% local match required by the FTA, Ford said.
The service will cost the city $6.08 million in total, as previously reported by Community Impact.The cost per year will fluctuate between $1.15 million and $1.29 million over the course of five years, Sitton said.
How it works
The service will be operational seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Riders can download the “Ride the Rio!” app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and will be prompted to create an account. Similar to other rideshare apps, the user will select a pickup and drop-off location, according to the “Ride the Rio!” website.
Once selected, riders who are students, veterans, seniors, or disabled can schedule a ride, while others can choose to be picked up as soon as possible, which the city aims to keep within 30 minutes, Sitton said. Seniors, disabled individuals, veterans and students will pay a discounted $2 rate, and other riders will be charged $4, according to the city’s website. Those who do not wish to use the app can either order their ride online at https://city.ridewithvia.com/new-braunfels or call the general dispatch number at 830-282-3413, according to the website.
Looking ahead
All rides will be free until Dec. 31, but after the new year, riders can pay in advance by using a credit or debit card linked to the account or pay in cash.
The service contract with River North Transit, a subsidiary of Via, will be in effect until 2028, after which the city will reevaluate the service, including possible expansion, changes in operations or a switch to a fixed-route system. Ridership and locational demand data will be used to make the determination in the future. Service years 2029 and 2030 are optional, with the availability to extend the service contract through the two remaining years, Sitton said.
“There’s a variety of things that we could look at to determine how we change this system,” she said.
