Bellevue, WA has emerged as a successful innovator in the microtransit space. In 2023, the City partnered with Circuit to launch electric, on-demand rides with a service called BellHop. Their goal was to help residents and tourists easily get around. 

Over the years, Bellevue has experienced an influx of tourism, and with the increase in visitors, they’ve also seen a rise in traffic and congestion. BellHop has helped combat this congestion and tackle these growing pains. 

Take a look in the rearview at the growth and progress that BellHop has seen since launch.

A BellHop, Skip, and Jump to Success

We moved 90k riders in the first year of BellHop's launch showing early program demand and adoption. After receiving so much love, the City partnered with Amazon to expand the program and connect it to the downtown light rail station demonstrating how microtransit works best: with other transit. People no longer have to choose between trekking by foot or expensive on-demand options like Uber or Lyft. BellHop delivers them directly to the station for free!

All of this past success has led us where we are today: 200k+ passengers. Demand for BellHop clearly hasn’t halted, and the community continues to love and use the service. 

We’re also helping Bellevue move toward their goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 by preventing the release of over 150 metric tons of CO2 into the air using BellHop’s electric fleet. It’s getting people where they need to go while keeping it clean.

Looking back on this progress, we’re excited to see what other successes are ahead of this valued program.

A Triumphant Service Backed by Community Support

With a 4.96/5 star rider rating, passengers in Bellevue clearly love the service. And who wouldn’t? The average wait time is only six minutes and takes riders to top destinations like Trader Joe’s and Bellevue Square bringing money to local businesses!

Joseph Brazen, owner of 520 Bar & Grill and president of Old Bellevue Merchants Association, said, "Bellhop was a big success this summer, a wonderful asset for all of Bellevue. Loved seeing all the happy guests that Bellhop would drop off in Old Bellevue throughout the day, and all summer long. Our merchants look forward to more BellHops in the future.”

“People seem to really love that there are no fixed stops or routes – it goes where you want to go,” noted Brad Jones, Executive Director of Visit Bellevue. “It changes the game of public transit. It doesn’t feel like public transit.” 

We’re proud to have partnered with the City of Bellevue and to have made such meaningful impacts in our two years of working together. To learn more about BellHop’s progression as a program, take a look at some articles:

• "I was joking about a free Uber service, but Bellevue's gone and done it" - The Seattle Times

• Bellevue's Free, Electric Shuttle Hits Mark of 40K Riders in First Six Months - 425 Business

• BellHop Electric Shuttle Service Now a Permanent Fixture in Bellevue - Downtown Bellevue Network

What's Next?

Bellevue is just one of the cities that Circuit is proud to partner with in bringing sustainable transportation to a community. If you’re curious about implementing microtransit in your community, contact us, and we’ll be in touch!