Rapid City SD –Anyone who’s stood at a RapidRide stop wishing the bus went one block further, or waited twenty extra minutes because the route just doesn’t reach their street, is exactly who Rapid City Transit System wants to hear from this fall.
RTS is hosting two public workshops next Thursday, October 1, as part of a feasibility study into “micro transit” — a smaller-scale, on-demand alternative to the system’s fixed routes.
The morning session runs 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Milo Barber Transportation Center, 333 Sixth Street; the evening session runs 6 to 8 p.m. at General Beadle Elementary School.
Unlike a traditional bus route, micro transit uses smaller vehicles — vans or minibuses — that riders can request on demand through an app, website, or phone call, with pickup and drop-off at the curb rather than a designated stop.
“Micro transit is a technology-enabled shared ride service that uses smaller vehicles such as vans or minibuses to provide flexible routing within specific areas of the community,” said RTS Manager Megan Gould.
The study is meant to identify where RTS’s current fixed routes leave gaps in coverage, and whether a demand-based service could fill them — with recommendations pointing toward where a pilot micro transit program might eventually launch.
Residents who can’t make either workshop will get another chance to weigh in: RTS is opening an online survey at www.rtsgomicro.com running September 28 through October 19.
For residents who feel like transit decisions happen without them, this is a rare direct line in: workshop attendees and survey respondents will be shaping which neighborhoods RTS considers first if a pilot program moves forward.
Whether it’s a standing gripe about a stop that’s too far away or just an idea for how service could work better, this is the window to put it on the record before the study’s recommendations are drafted.
Sourcing
Information and quotes drawn from a Rapid City Municipal Government press release. Contact: Megan Gould, RTS Manager, me*********@***ov.org, 605-394-6631.
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