The city of Aiken is moving forward with a feasibility study to determine whether an on-demand microtransit service could fill gaps in the community’s public transportation network, backed by a $50,000 investment from the nonprofit Aiken Corporation.
Microtransit uses smartphone apps or phone calls to request rides, then groups passengers traveling in similar directions into shared vehicles in real time, giving riders a flexible alternative to fixed bus routes. The study, expected to take about six months, will be conducted by Via Mobility LLC, a transportation technology firm that says it operates turnkey microtransit systems in roughly 40 countries.
City Planning Director Marya Moultrie has pushed the idea for more than two years, working through what she described as two and a half years of groundwork before securing funding and a partner to study the concept. The study will map out where residents face the biggest gaps in existing service, including areas that are difficult to reach through the city’s Best Friend Express fixed-route buses or its Dial-a-Ride paratransit program, and will factor in emerging employment centers that could benefit from better connections.
Researchers will hold interviews, stakeholder meetings and public workshops so residents, businesses and community organizations can weigh in before any service model is chosen. Several potential coverage areas and operating models will be evaluated against criteria including projected ridership, wait times, vehicle needs and operating costs. No service area or model has been selected yet, and the $50,000 covers only the planning and feasibility work, not the cost of running a transit service.
City officials say the goal is to produce a data-driven plan and cost estimates that would put Aiken in a stronger position to compete for federal and state transportation grants, philanthropic funding or employer partnerships if the community decides to move ahead with a full rollout. Aiken Corporation’s executive director framed the investment as a way to turn a long-identified transportation gap into a concrete, fundable plan rather than simply naming it as a problem.
