Morgantown-based transit service teaming with Uber for on-demand service

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. —  The Mountain Line Transit Authority will eliminate two routes next month and replace them with the Uber-based RideMon service.

Mountain Line Transit Authority CEO Dave Bruffy said the Mountain Heights and Grafton/Fairmont Road routes will end March 13 and a new on-demand option will increase access and mobility for the people in that area.

Dave Bruffy

The routes will now be serviced by smaller passenger vans that will better serve riders, Bruffy said.

“They are low-floor vans, and they can get into many more places,” Bruffy said. “So for instance, on Boy Scout Road, you can’t really take a bus off-route and get out on Boy Scout Road, but you can take one of these vans there.”

The new on-demand service will be tied to the Uber app and will run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. During a seven-month test of the on-demand system, riders arrived at their destinations within 24 minutes of making the Uber arrangement.

“That compares to the Mountain Heights service that only runs three times a day and the Grafton/Fairmont Road service that only runs twice a day, so it is significantly better service,” Bruffy said.

Public meetings will be held at the Mountain Line Transit Authority office at 420 Dupont Road in Westover on the following days and times:

Wednesday, January 18, at 1 p.m.

Wednesday, February 8 at noon

Wednesday, March 8 at noon

For additional assistance, riders can contact the Mobility Coordinator at 304-286-3869.

“If they come to one of those meetings or if they need help, we can walk them through the entire process,” Bruffy said. “I think we have some videos on the website too that they can look at.”

Bruffy said the fare for each one-way trip will remain $0.75 per ride, per passenger.

“Well, we know they are a lifeline to people in those areas and we also know there might be higher ridership on it if we had better service,” Bruffy said.

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