ART Microtransit Pilot

About the Program

Arlington Transit (ART) is pilot testing microtransit service to supplement areas and passengers with needs beyond the scope of regular fixed route service. 

What is Microtransit?  

Microtransit is a hyper-local, tech-enabled shared ride on-demand transit service which expands the transit network by providing access and bridging gaps within areas which have either limited or no fixed-route transit service. Microtransit features real-time dynamic routing and allows riders to travel within a designated zone to connect to fixed-route transit and other destinations.  Microtransit typically utilizes smaller vehicles than full sized buses to provide public transit options. Microtransit is not intended to replace ART’s fixed-route transit service in areas where there is ample ridership demand.    

Northwest Arlington Pilot (2025)

The FY25-35 Arlington Transit Strategic Plan determined that while fixed route service in the rest of the county would increase in bus hours and frequency, ridership in the northwest corner of Arlington was not high enough to warrant the same level of investment. Rather than eliminating ART service entirely, Arlington County has opted to implement microtransit service as a stopgap.

Proposed Pilot Area 

The proposed pilot will be bounded by North Glebe Road on the east, Langston Boulevard on the south, and the County line on the north and west and will include the Westover neighborhood. Additional nodes included in the proposed pilot include Virginia Hospital Center, Madison Community Center, and the East Falls Church and Ballston- Metrorail stations. Cardinal Elementary School, Williamsburg Middle School, Swanson Middle School, Yorktown High School, Bishop O’Connell High School, and the Westover Library are located within the proposed pilot areas.

Pilot Goals 

In this area, microtransit will be implemented as an alternative measure and will serve passengers only as needed, rather than deploying fixed-route buses for full service. Maximize travel options through on-demand service, educate, collaborate, expand ART’s network, analyze cost in comparison to fixed route transit, evaluate ridership, understand customer experience, what model to apply in the future 

At the end of the pilot period, the County will determine if the program continues, be expanded to other areas, and/or warrant graduating the area to fixed-route service and implementing new routes, or other strategies would be more fitting. 

Timeline

County staff will be issuing a Request for Proposals in spring of 2025 to obtain a microtransit operator. The County will issue a request for proposals in summer of 2025. The pilot will run for about a year after launch.