Demand-response bus service to pilot in Stonington

January 26, 2020 11:00 pm • Last Updated: January 28, 2020 6:23 pm

By Kimberly Drelich
Day Staff Writer

Stonington — Starting Monday, people in Stonington will be able to hail a bus ride on demand through their mobile phones.

Southeast Area Transit District and the company TransLoc are partnering to launch a micro-transit pilot program, a real-time, demand-response bus service, said SEAT General Manager Michael Carroll. The service is similar to Uber, but operated by a public transit provider.

The SEAT HOP service bus will provide on-demand "curb-to-curb" transit from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in most of the populated area of Stonington between Mystic and Pawcatuck along the Route 1 corridor, said Carroll. A community forum will be held Wednesday for people to learn more about the pilot program that will replace the current Route 10 bus and will run through June 30.

Carroll said SEAT secured a $25,000 state grant for the initial up-front costs. The operating costs are the same as the fixed route service, and the vehicle will be a small SEAT bus operated by a SEAT driver.

Transit districts, including the Estuary Transit District and the Norwalk Transit District, are using microtransit programs. New London, a member of SEAT, is studying the potential for microtransit to complement existing bus service.

For the Stonington service, people can download the TransLoc app on their smartphones through the Apple App Store or Google Play. Through the app, they will be able to book a bus trip, as well as get updates and track the bus. People also can request the service online at www.ondemand.transloc.com or by calling (860) 886-2631.

The service will be free for the month of February, and then will be the same cost as other SEAT buses: $2 per ride, or $1 per ride for seniors or people with disabilities.

"We’re hoping this will provide a more efficient and convenient means of transportation for our residents," said Stonington Human Services Director Leanne Theodore.

She said the goal is to provide enhanced accessibility and convenient on-demand service, and also increase ridership among people who previously weren't located close to the SEAT bus route. The on-demand service expands the service hours in Stonington, which will accommodate people looking to take a bus to and from work.

Stonington First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough said it's exciting that Stonington is the pilot for this new model of transportation service, which will give people more options of where they can go and also provide more flexibility than a fixed route. While there may be an adjustment period as the pilot starts up, the service will be free of charge for the first month.

"Hopefully the way it's being set up, it should get you to and from where you want to go much quicker," she said.

SEAT will be evaluating the service to see if it is meeting the needs of riders, Carroll said. At the end of the pilot — or during the process — SEAT has the option to go back to the Route 10 service or continue using the microtransit service.

Carroll said Stonington hasn't always been conducive to fixed route service because it's a large geographic area that is not very densely populated, so service isn't as frequent as SEAT would have liked.

Route 10, which has the lowest ridership in the district, had about 3,500 riders from July 1 through Dec. 31, 2019, he said.

But that doesn't mean people didn't need the bus service, according to the results of an anecdotal survey administered on the Route 10 bus and online.

The survey with about 22 respondents found that people took the bus in Stonington to get to the bank, pharmacy, school, jobs, medical appointments, the grocery store or for social purposes. People commented that without bus service they would lose their jobs or independence, or not be able to get to the doctor, store, or to pick up their children from school.

Stonington has been working with SEAT over the past couple of years to assess residents' transportation needs and how to better meet those needs, said Theodore.

TransLoc Director of Product Ashley Berenson said TransLoc is "thrilled to partner with" SEAT. More than 60 cities across the country have adopted microtransit solutions through TransLoc, she said.

"Our mission is to help towns and cities connect riders to transit that gives them a lifeline to their work, school, and community," Berenson said in a statement. "The launch of SEAT HOP will allow us to help Stonington reach that goal, providing residents with the power to schedule customized curb-to-curb trips through the ease of a smartphone app."

She said the SEAT service "offers the same level of convenience and customization that traditional ride-hailing services do, but at an affordable cost."

Changing face of public transit

Transit agencies are looking at the demand-response model to either supplement bus service, or in SEAT's case replace a fixed route with relatively low ridership, said Carroll.

The Estuary Transit District, which operates 9 Town Transit, started a microtransit pilot program in May in Old Saybrook and parts of Westbrook and Centerbrook.

"It's really designed around the two train stations and being a first-mile, last-mile connector for Shore Line East to get people from their train station to their final destination, because that’s what we heard was a challenge," said Executive Director Joseph Comerford.

One challenge is that in the suburbs businesses are located throughout the area, rather than concentrated in one urban core. Another challenge is fluctuating train schedules. Most fixed bus routes run on a schedule to meet connections with buses run by outside transit districts, making it difficult to switch schedules to meet changing train times, Comerford said.

Microtransit provides flexibility when train schedules fluctuate.

Comerford said the district received really positive feedback, and 25% of microtransit riders had never used the regular 9 Town Transit system before. More people — 57% — have a car but are choosing to use microtransit, compared to 31% of people using the regular system.

The service also is appealing to younger riders, who typically don't use the fixed route service as much, he said. 25% of microtransit riders are between the ages of 18 and 25, compared to 17% on fixed routes.

Norwalk Transit District, in partnership with other entities, implemented evening on-demand bus service in Norwalk, a city that has seen a new mall, a lot of transit-oriented development housing and changing demographics, said Chief Executive Officer Kimberlee A. Morton. People aged 25 to 40 represent the fastest-growing demographic in the city.

"When we looked at that and what was happening across the country, I think you really see that the face of public transit is changing in communities across the country," Morton said. "Public transit is not only a service of need, it's becoming a service of choice."

Transit districts, like Norwalk, are looking at how to meet people's expectations and incorporate new technology.

But microtransit doesn't come without its challenges, she pointed out. The transit district has to make sure microtransit doesn't "cannibalize" successful fixed route service.

The district implemented microtransit in the evenings when regular service is more limited, she said. The microtransit service runs from 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday-Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Morton said the microtransit service, which started as a pilot program, is now a component of the transit district. It's currently free, but the district anticipates having a fare in place by the end of March, with a plan to cap costs at a certain level for people traveling in a group.

"It's extremely well received, and the challenge is the proper balance," she said.

Carroll said that while microtransit isn't a panacea that will solve all issues facing public transit, SEAT is trying to be flexible and offer "a range of options to move folks in our community."

k.drelich@theday.com