The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Houston Metro) is enhancing its on-demand services to provide customers with more service hours, easier ways to schedule trips, improved connections to the broader transit network and more vehicles to meet customer demand.

“Our customers have evolving mobility needs, and these improvements are about giving them more options and making our services easier to use,” said Houston Metro Board Chair Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock. “That means we are optimizing services, introducing new technology and providing better connections to the rest of our system.”

METROLift improvements to make scheduling trips easier

Houston Metro is upgrading the technology, vehicles and travel options for METROLift, its paratransit service, to make scheduling and completing trips easier for riders. According to the agency, an automated scheduling option will allow customers to make next-day reservations while a new Where Is My Ride virtual assistant will provide customers with updated trip information. The METRO On Demand app will also provide self-service booking for METROLift same-day trips.

The agency is also introducing new METROLift vans and minivans to replace aging vehicles and launching a new Transportation Network Company (TNC) option to provide additional capacity during periods of high demand.

Community Connector to become permanent part of Houston Metro's transit network

Houston Metro's Community Connector, the on-demand rideshare pilot service that serves select neighborhoods in response to the community's need for convenient access to public transit, is becoming a permanent part of the agency's transit network following a 64% increase in ridership. The agency is also expanding service hours, launching new vehicles and improving connections to the broader system. Service hours across its five zones will expand to Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with new climate-controlled vehicles, dedicated ADA wheelchair-accessible minivans and a TNC option available during periods of high demand.

“Community Connector shows what we can accomplish when the city and [Houston] Metro work together and listen to the communities we serve,” said Houston Mayor John Whitmire. “The growth in ridership tells us people are using and increasingly relying on this service."

Community Connector will also be integrated into the METRO On Demand app for real-time, point-to-point multimodal trip planning. Beginning Sept. 28, the service will transition to the standard $1.25 fare, with new onboard fare validators integrated into the agency's new fare system, giving customers greater flexibility in how they pay. Customers will also receive free transfers to other transit services, along with standard student and senior discounts with an eligible fare card.

curb2curb expands service zones

Houston Metro has also expanded curb2curb, another on-demand neighborhood rideshare service, with the addition of the new 347 Gulfton On Demand Service Zone, providing customers in the Gulfton community with another flexible transportation option. The service operates daily from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The agency has also successfully piloted a TNC option for curb2curb customers, providing additional capacity to help meet customer needs during periods of high demand.

Houston Metro joins other agencies in expanding on-demand transit options  

The agency's expansion of on-demand transit services joins agencies like Cincinnati Metro, the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation and Utah Transit Authority who have recently added to their on-demand services to give more transit options to more customers.