The city’s cost for a proposed program offering discounted Uber rides in St. George could be far less than the $500,000 price tag originally pitched to residents.

City officials said during a public meeting Wednesday night that the city’s cost will depend on the popularity of the program and could range from $250,000 up to half a million dollars.

The meeting, which included officials with Uber, addressed the planned Uber Rideshare Pilot Program. It would give riders 50% off rides within city limits, potentially starting by the end of October.

The proposed initiative would last at least one year and provide discounted rides and capture data to inform the city where residents need transportation, according to the city’s proposal. The pilot program is currently projected to serve approximately 1,500 to 2,000 riders. Participants would be able to receive up to 10 subsidized rides per month.

Options for the name of the St. George rideshare program so far are: SG Connect, SG on Demand, St. George on the Go and St. George Dash.

The program would be funded by St. George and the Uber Transit Innovation Fund. The city has budgeted up to $500,000 for the program and received an additional $50,000 grant from Uber, according to a St. George spokesperson. The city would pay per ride, so the actual cost could fall well below the original estimate.

The City Council would control the budget for the initiative, and the program would be paused if funding ran out, according to Councilman Drew Murrell. He said council members would continuously monitor the program over the year, and if it is not successful, the council would end it.

“There’s a sizable portion of our population that does not utilize public transportation. Maybe it’s because they’re not close enough to it, maybe it’s because it doesn’t fit what they want to do,” Murrell said. “We think that this program would be a way to bridge that gap.”

This program would be a first for Louisiana and is modeled after similar programs in several Texas cities. Cedar Park and Kyle, two suburban cities outside Austin, both offer discounts for riding within city limits.

St. George resident Helen Mason has pointed out reported increased expenditures for the city of Kyle’s program in her critique of the proposal.

Mason, along with several other residents, wrote to St. George leaders this week asking them to defer — or outright reject — the proposal, which she deemed as “impulsive” and “not well thought out.”

“It’s a pilot program for a new city still in the process of taking over financial prospects from Baton Rouge,” Mason said. “I don’t see a need for this.”

Councilman Murrell, in response to residents’ concerns, emphasized there will always be opposition among 86,000 residents.

“We can bring a program that might be new. It might be different,” he said. “That may be a good thing. Maybe it’ll do something unique to the area.”

Rick Koch, with Trippp Consulting, said about 20 cities nationwide use comparable rideshare programs, and that this would be the first in Louisiana.

Trippp Consulting would work with the city and Uber to implement and execute the pilot program.

Koch also said the programs aim to complement existing local transit agencies.

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