TX: METRO hedges its bets on microtransit by bringing service to downtown Houston

Houston's foremost public transportation agency is hedging its bets on a new, trendy microtransit program that offers riders short-distance trips they can hail via a separate mobile application.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority has been beta-testing the program for over a year now. It first equipped its small electric vehicles (EV) with a five-person capacity in the Third Ward and the Second Ward, recently expanding to downtown Houston. The program is meant to provide service for first- and last-mile trips, referring to the initial and final leg of a trip when users need to walk on foot to get to or from the bus stop in addition to users who need to get from curb to curb. The new initiative is in partnership with several local organizations, including METRO, the city of Houston, and Evolve Houston, a non-profit that focuses on accelerating EV adoption.

This initiative has been a keen focus of METRO's new board, championed by its new chair Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock. Notably, Brock was one of the founding board members of Evolve Houston, the organization that's managing the implementation of the pilot program.

"Integrating microtransit into METRO's public transit system demonstrates a commitment to finding innovative solutions that meet our customers where they are," Brock said in a news release announcing the expansion. "This on-demand service provides a flexible, easier way to reach METRO buses and rail lines and will grow ridership by solving the first and last mile challenges that have hindered people's ability to choose METRO."

Chron spoke to Evolve executive director Casey Brown about the focus on microtransit and how these initiatives fit into the broader mass transit system in Houston. He says that this program is no substitute for fixed-route service.

"This is a very unique low-speed vehicle that's intended to solve challenges and barriers that people may have getting to or from a bus stop or to and from a grocery store," Brown said.

Brown says the program's scope began small. First with senior citizens and then opening up to the general public. What surprised him is how "evenly distributed" the demographics are. Not only are older residents using the service, but also teens. Those who have tried the service have "overwhelmingly positive experiences." Brown told Chron he hopes to open service in one or two more areas in the program's pilot phase.

"I do think there's a great opportunity for this to grow," Brown said. "We do get contacted from individuals who are outside our service zones who will say 'you should offer the service here.'"

Nick Arcos, director of communications at LINK Houston, a group advocating for a robust transportation network in Houston, told Chron they haven't been able to analyze ridership data or parse through demographics using the service because it's not a fully integrated METRO product yet. He thinks microtransit can play a role in Houston's transit system, but doesn't believe it to be a "catch-all-solution."

"Microtransit can play an important role in addressing gaps like the last mile problem, but we should be careful to address it as a catch-all-solution," Arcos said.

"It can help that college student get from one side of campus to the other, but there are other options that could be used instead, like funding towards repairing or building new sidewalks so that the first mile and last mile isn't as hazardous of a trip," he added.

Arcos has taken a ride in the shuttle and says its app, which is separate from METRO's current family of mobile applications, is easy to use for technology-natives and sighted users. He estimates he waited about 30 seconds for a shuttle to pick him up and take him to his destination. However, he worries the vehicles' lack of air conditioning and heat could hamper ridership.

Evolve is working on adding climate control to vehicles and is already starting to test it across a couple of vehicles that Brown described as a "2.0 version" of the original vehicles. That version would service downtown and have a bigger battery capacity to expand hours of operation.

"There needs to be a balance in the levels of how they are choosing to conduct METRO services," Arcos said "They previously had METRO Curb to Curb before this Evolve partnership happened and that's a very similar experience where you're able to find out and schedule a ride from your home to a transit center so that you're able to connect to the larger bus system...

"We do believe it's important, especially for senior citizens or those unable to afford a car, but they need to be addressing the entire problem, which is building connected sidewalks and making sure their bus stops are accessible," Arcos added.

Joseph Panzarella, a resident of downtown Houston, recently tried to use the service but was unable to because of its limited hours. He said the app is easy to use and very similar to using Lyft or Uber. However, it's not very useful if you're trying to get from the east side of downtown to the west side past 10 p.m.

"And so I just took the bus," Panzarella said. "The bus was great and they got me outside of my street as opposed to a couple of blocks away."

In Panzarella's view, especially as someone who uses public transportation daily, it makes the most sense to focus METRO's efforts on frequency. Ridership, he says, will rise quickly if the reliability of the bus system increases.

"I've had this happen where if you missed the 40, it's almost a guaranteed 30-minute wait for the next [bus]. It kind of makes the bus like a do-or-die. I'm either catching the bus to work or I'm going to need to go get my bike or catch an Uber."

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