SNELLVILLE – The county's Microtransit program, which transports citizens for free around the city on small buses, has been extended past its initial six-month run until April 30.
The program has proven to be so popular county officials decided to extend the free service along its 17-square-mile route. Nearly 20,000 passengers have ridden a Microtransit bus since the program debuted.
When the program kicked off in September, the program drew an average of 91 daily passengers, during 68 average daily trips. This month, there was an average of 242 daily passengers riding 180 average daily trips. The highest one-day passenger count during the Gwinnett County Transportation program's run was 344. The highest one-day trip count was 225.
"We are currently running seven ADA accessible 12-passenger vans within the zone and have experienced steady growth in our completed trips," said Kurt Gagnard, Gwinnett County Transportation transit planner. "We have transported passengers to any number of locations and purposes including to grocery stores, school, work, doctor/dialysis visits, shopping, and back to their homes."
Once the free pilot ends the county will review all of the data to determine what best suits its needs for a future technology procurement and then eventually roll the program back out in the Snellville and Buford areas.
"Of course we will establish a fare for the service at that time though the amount has not yet been determined," Gagnard said. "We are currently looking at ways to optimize the service in order to reduce wait times and hope to have improvements rolled out as soon as they are developed."
Riders are be able to be picked up and dropped off door-to-door within a specific zone in Snellville. They can do this by the push of a button on the Microtransit app or by phone at 770-822-5010. Microtransit will run Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information visit gctransit.com.