By Samantha Smith
A pilot transportation program kickstarted by the city of Kyle meant to replace the loss of the Capital Area Rural Transportation Service (CARTS) attempts to fill the transportation needs for residents.
The “Trips Around Kyle” program began March 15 and was designed to help residents without access to transportation get around to the services they need within the city.
Jerry Hendrix, Kyle chief of staff, said ridership for the program has been what the city expected.
According to numbers provided by the city, the pilot program has averaged 1.7 riders per day of service, which runs on Tuesday and Thursdays.
Kim Hilsenbeck, Kyle Communication Specialist, said in an emailed response on June 1 that there had been no riders to date for Austin or San Marcos.
Hendrix said the city was paying more for CARTS service for roughly the same amount of riders.
The city was spending $2,000 per month for 5 to 10 riders under the CARTS program. Kyle is currently spending $300 a month for the same amount of riders in the pilot program.
Hendrix said the pilot transportation program is designed to operate in a similar demand/response format as CARTS.
The city had a contract with Capital Metro, who operates CARTS, until December 2015, when it expired.
“The pilot program is for helping people who are transit-dependent get to shopping, and helping them with the cost of that,” Hendrix said.
The city entered into a contract with Kyle/Buda Taxi, the only taxi company with a franchise agreement with the city, to provide the service to residents. Riders must contact Kyle/Buda Taxi in advance so drivers can accommodate them with an appropriate vehicle to meet their needs.
Hendrix said the city has an agreement with Kyle/Buda Taxi that helps absorb a portion of the cost of the ride. Hendrix said the contract is more affordable for residents, as opposed to other ride sharing options, such as Uber and Lyft.
Hendrix said residents are able to utilize ridesharing programs if they so choose, but they would be responsible for 100 percent of the cost.
Kyle residents pay $3 for a one-way trip in Kyle and $6 for round trips. The Taxi will pick up and drop off riders at their home address.
According to the city’s website, Kyle/Buda Taxi will transport riders to Austin and San Marcos for an increased fee, where they can connect to other transportation options like CARTS if needed.
“Part of the equation is determining the need of an express route,” Hendrix said regarding the correlation between the pilot transportation program and Kyle’s future mass transportation needs.
Hendrix is hopeful that if the pilot program is successful and ridership/demand increases, the city can scale up the services that the program can offer like possibly more operating days and different service hours.
“We think the option we have is more rider-friendly and meets the criteria of people who need transportation services to make their appointments and shopping needs twice a week,” Hendrix said.
