BT On-Demand Proposal
UPDATE (8/23/2021) At the BPTC August 2021 Board Meeting, the Board of Directors elected to halt the proposal to replace Route 8 with on-demand transportation. Route 8 will continue to operate in its current form until further notice.
BT On-Demand Proposal
(7/11/2021) BT is constantly evaluating its service to determine methods by which public transit may be better delivered in Bloomington. In doing so, BT staff have been exploring options for incorporating on-demand service into its operations. On-demand transit refers to a method of transportation service delivery that utilizes smaller vehicles that may be more flexible in areas where large transit buses are inefficient. In fact, on-demand services already exist in Bloomington in the form of Uber, Lyft, and other familiar taxi services. BT is now considering the replacement of Route 8 by partnering with these existing on-demand providers to provide what may be more convenient service for BT riders.
On-demand service works best where demand is low for mass transit. Within the BT bus network, demand is lowest on Route 8, making it well suited for on-demand service. On average, Route 8 provides fewer than 10 trips per hour (click here for a breakdown of Passengers-Per-Hour across all routes).
On-Demand Pilot Program Key Service Characteristics
- Trips must start and end within the Route 8 service area (1/4 mile corridor adjacent to the path of the route, within Bloomington boundaries)
- Riders hail trips directly in Uber, Lyft, or taxi app and input special discount code for price reduction
- Riders would pay the first $1.00, and any cost of the trip over $15.00 (BT pays a maximum of $14.00 per trip)
- Riders in need of a wheelchair-accessible vehicle may call BT to arrange a ride to be provided by BT
- 1-year pilot program, after which the program will be evaluated for rider satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness
Pilot program goal: provide more convenient service for riders, while delivering service more cost-effectively
Target implementation date: November 2021
Please take a few minutes to respond to our survey regarding your experience with BT buses and the possibility of adopting new on-demand services.
