Transit is a lifeline to communities across the United States, but it does not always efficiently bridge its customers to important destinations and resources. Depending on the time of day, ridership on fixed-route buses can be low, burdening a transit agencys' resources. At other times and places, customers living in disinvested neighborhoods cannot easily access fundamental resources like jobs or grocery stores. These were issues that the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (aka. The COMET) in Columbia, South Carolina sought to address when it formed The COMET On The Go! program in 2019. The COMET On The Go is a partnership with two transportation network companies (TNCs), Lyft and Uber, that consists of two components: COMET @ Night and COMET to the Market. Through COMET @ Night, The COMET customers can request subsidized, shared TNC rides at night as long as their route mimics that of a fixed-route bus. During the day, customers living in food deserts—areas lacking adequate access to grocery stores—can use COMET to the Market to request subsidized, shared TNC rides to and from designated grocery stores that provide fresh produce. Through The COMET On The Go and subsequent initiatives, The COMET’s role as a regional transit agency evolved and expanded. Not only does the COMET provide important fixed-route buses that transport customers across the Columbia metropolitan area, but it actively looks to tailor its services to the needs of its communities. This case study explores how The COMET On The Go has transformed and inspired the creation of other mobility offerings at The COMET. It also gives insights into how The COMETs’ partnerships with Lyft and Uber developed over time. While both TNCs are valuable partners with COMET, professionals at the transit agency realized a need to establish clear guidelines in their agreements to ensure their partnerships served the public interest. Overall, understanding how The COMET On The Go operates, along with other mobility programs at The COMET, can help transit agencies adapt services to their customers.
Source: https://learn.sharedusemobilitycenter.org/casestudy/transforming-transit-into-mobility-at-the-comet-columbia-sc/
TA Centers: SUMC
Terms: Access, Accessibility, COVID-19, Demand responsive transportation, Equity, Government funding, Multimodal transportation, Paratransit services, Payment, Persons with disabilities, Procurement, Public private partnerships, Public transit, Ridesharing, Ridesourcing, Shared mobility, Taxi services
Tags: accessibility, accessible, cab, cabs, Coronavirus, COVID-19, demand response, demand responsive, equity, first mile, first/last mile, last mile, MAAS, microtransit, Mobility as a Service, paratransit, pilot, pilot projects, pilots, procurement, public transit, public transportation, public-private partnerships, ride sourcing, ride splitting, ridesourcing, ridesplitting, taxi, taxis, TNC, TNCs, transit, transportation network companies, transportation network company
