Officials say ridership on Birmingham’s on-demand ridesharing service is growing and residents are anxious to see the service expand.
The service, Birmingham On-Demand, is different from traditional fixed-route transit, which uses large buses and moves a large group of riders. The service is on-demand, meaning riders don’t have to wait for the bus or follow a bus schedule.
Birmingham On-Demand uses Mercedes Metris vans to take riders inside a 7 square-mile zone. Each ride is $1.50. Riders request a ride through the Via app or by calling 205-236-0768.
Since the service launched on Dec. 3, weekly ridership has doubled, according to data provided by the Birmingham Department of Transportation. The data shows 3,072 rides have been taken. The most rides taken in a single day was recorded on Tuesday, with 143 rides.
“We’re pleased we didn’t lose gains and actually saw growth (after the holidays),” said Lakey Boyd, deputy director for strategy and innovation for the city transportation department.
While ridership has doubled since the service launched, pickup wait times have stayed consistent, with an average wait time of 7.3 minutes.
Some of the most popular pickup and drop off spots include the Crossplex, Publix in downtown, UAB Highlands, the bus-train station and Marino’s Market.
While officials expected grocery stores and the hospital to be popular, Boyd said she’s surprised Publix has remained among the most popular points. The data suggests riders in west Birmingham are using the Crossplex as a hub for rides into downtown.
Riders are also giving the service positive reviews, with the average rating of each ride 4.88 out of 5 stars. The biggest complaint is that the service doesn’t cover the whole city.
“Residents are excited about it. I get calls and emails from them wanting to know when it will come to their area,” said District 9 councilor John Hilliard, who also serves on the transportation committee. He said he hopes the services will expand to the neighborhoods of Dolomite and Sherman Heights—two neighborhoods that aren’t served by a bus.
“It’s important for residents to have transportation options,” he said.
The cost of weekly and monthly passes will soon decrease. Boyd said she hopes dropping the price will show residents Birmingham On-Demand can be used as part of their daily transportation, not just a one-time service.
The cost of weekly passes will be dropped to $10 from the current $14. The cost of monthly passes will be dropped to $35 from the current $54. Each weekly or monthly pass covers up to four rides per day.
City officials haven’t determined the future of the service. Boyd said they’re working to determine that. If the service continues growing, Boyd said the city may have to consider adding additional vans. Currently there are five.
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January 23, 2020 at 06:16AM
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