The Arlington County government’s plan for a pilot “microtransit” effort won support at a recent advisory-subcommittee meeting. But it also faced flak over where it will be conducted.
“I’m just sort of flabbergasted,” said Kent Keyser, a member of the accessibility subcommittee of the Arlington Transit Advisory Committee, after hearing that the pilot will take place in what he termed the “next to the wealthiest” section of the county. (The wealthiest being areas in far northwest Arlington just to the north of the proposed service area.)
“I’m wondering why we’re expending scarce public dollars [in this area] with so many needs in other parts of the county,” Keyser said.
The microtransit pilot, anticipated to start sometime next year, will run in a part of western Arlington bounded by North Glebe Road to the east, Langston Boulevard to the south and the county line to the north and west.
It was chosen in part because that area recently lost Arlington Transit routes due to ridership levels that didn’t merit full bus service, said Paul Mounier, transit-planning manager for the county government.
“We’re trying to provide transit to everyone in the county,” he said. “This is where we are cutting transit – everyone else is getting a boost to transit.”
Mounier acknowledged that staff did not look at demographics in determining where to do the pilot. If the effort meets or exceeds expectations, “we would definitely be open to expanding,” he said.
The microtransit effort will use vehicles smaller than buses so as to reach into neighborhoods. Residents wishing to use the service could make a reservation or call for on-demand service.
Neither the cost to the county government nor the cost to riders has been worked out. While the state government has chipped in some cash to support the effort, most funding likely will come from county taxpayers.
RoseAnn Ashby, who chairs the accessibility subcommittee, said the presentation by Mounier was “very helpful” in outlining the plan. But, like Keyser, she had concerns.
“This really has a lot of potential, but we need to make sure this is accessible as it’s being developed,” Ashby said, pointing both to physical accessibility of the vehicles themselves and the technology created to request service.
