On-demand microtransit service hits the ground rolling in New Braunfels

New Braunfels officials celebrated the official launch of “Ride the Rio!,” an on-demand microtransit service, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Jan. 18.

The background

The service 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. There are several ways to book, plan and pay for the new on-demand ride service.

The "Ride the Rio!" 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. 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, as previously reported by Community Impact.

By the numbers

"Ride the Rio!"—which began operating Nov. 18—has seen strong early usage, according to the city. Between Nov. 18 and Jan. 18, Rio completed 9,792 rides, with an average trip lasting about 16 minutes and covering roughly 5.1 miles, according to data provided to Community Impact by the city.

During the two-month period, riders traveled 62,370 miles collectively, with 36,038 of those miles with passengers on board. User engagement has also been robust, with 4,446 app installs and 3,912 new accounts created during the same timeframe. While many riders used the service occasionally—2,816 riders requested a single trip—others relied on it more frequently, as 406 riders requested five or more rides, according to the data.

What else?

The city will continue monitoring ridership and performance data as Ride the Rio! moves beyond its initial launch phase, according to the city.