For the past decade, microtransit has been garnering people’s attention, leading them to ask the questions: how is microtransit different from traditional transit? and, which one is best for my city?

Microtransit is an on-demand service that combines elements of traditional transit and ride-sharing. While fixed-route options like buses and subways remain essential, microtransit provides added support by offering flexible, responsive services tailored to city needs.

The key is building microtransit that complements, not competes with, traditional transit by operating in the first-mile/last-mile gaps of mass transit. However, there are conditions that each system is particularly well suited for.

When determining what type of transit is best for your city, you should consider the following factors:

1. Population Size - is the population size small or large?

Traditional transit is great for big cities and busier areas with larger populations. Microtransit is useful in surrounding areas with smaller populations like the suburbs where riders may have to commute to get to mass transit hubs or where current mass transit is being underused. 

Fort Lauderdale, FL is a larger city that Circuit has partnered with. In this location, Circuit’s microtransit services work with Tri Rail, an existing mass transit in Florida, to fill its first-mile/last-mile gaps.

Brentwood, NY has a smaller population and less access to large transit hubs. Circuit’s services in Brentwood give residents necessary and affordable modes of transportation to work and school that they wouldn’t have otherwise and provide jobs for locals.

2. Rider Demographics - who is riding the transit?

Microtransit’s flexible nature makes it a better option for seniors, individuals with disabilities, or other riders who may have specific needs whereas traditional transit operates well for a more uniform population. 

Chula Vista, CA has an increasing population of older adults, so Circuit administered a shuttle for riders aged 55 and above. This shuttle ensures that older community members and those under-served by existing transit can maintain their mobility and autonomy without reliance on friends and family members to drive them around.

Circuit’s microtransit system in Hollywood, FL uses live data to decrease rider wait times from the city’s fixed-route bus system.

3. Budgeting & Resources - what are the budgeting and resources of the city?

Traditional transit calls for built infrastructure and lots of vehicles and drivers which requires a large overall budget. Microtransit has significantly less expensive implementation costs, but involves more specific resources such as technology and software. 

Bellevue, WA wanted to implement microtransit but had trouble finding the right budgeting, so they partnered with Amazon as a private partner to make their vision a reality. 

Other municipalities we’ve worked with have received microtransit funding from grants and taxes. To see a more specific breakdown of microtransit funding options, download our Funding Guide or read about it  on our blog.

4. Destinations - where are riders going?

If riders have consistent routes, such as going to and from jobs and school, or need to cover longer distances, traditional transit can work well. However, if there are gaps in these routes where spans of shorter distances lack transportation options or riders’ journeys are more varied, microtransit is a great solution. 

Whittier, CA recently implemented Circuit's microtransit service to offer community members easy mobility to a variety of destinations. This service, the Whittier Cruiser, has already completed 10,000 passenger trips, with more than 2,200 unique riders in just 60 days. On average, the Cruiser is carrying 8.8 passengers per vehicle hour (ppvh), an extremely high metric for microtransit. These stats clearly demonstrate that well-planned and operated microtransit is a great solution for increased mobility to a variety of destinations.

So... What's Best? 

Depending on your city’s combination of the above factors, one transit system may make more sense than the other. However, the most productive city transit systems combine traditional and microtransit services to create holistic transportation that serves the most riders most efficiently.

If you’re curious about implementing microtransit in your area, please contact us, and we’ll help you find the right transportation services for your city’s needs.