"The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), in Pinellas County, FL, was the first transit agency in the US to sign a service provision agreement with a transportation network company (TNC) to offer joint first/last-mile service subsidized by public dollars. PSTA’s “Direct Connect” pilot allows riders to get to and from bus stops in a taxi, wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV), or Uber TNC vehicle at a subsidized rate. PSTA’s overall experience developing, managing, and adapting the Direct Connect pilot provides insight into what transit agencies can expect when working with on-demand service providers. While operating on a larger scale, in a denser environment, or with a different ridership base may have offered different lessons in implementation, the Direct Connect pilot’s service design shows what is necessary for a successful launch of a pilot program: good data and transparency from all parties, as well as concrete plans for outreach and evaluation."

Key findings

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Launching the pilot required public champions. The fact that a complex, highly-visible pilot developed so soon after a major funding setback for PSTA speaks to the organizational resilience and dedication of key leadership and staff in seeking new ways to provide service.

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Rider engagement pays off. Initial ridership gains closely followed ground-based marketing efforts. In a functionally different service design involving new technology, time and energy must be spent engaging and educating potential riders.

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Maintain options and flexibility to iterate. While the execution of bringing in new providers or providing equal access has not been seamless, PSTA deserves credit for a willingness to evolve the service design and to keep participation open to multiple providers. The pilot is richer for leveraging the diversity of TNC, taxi and wheelchair-accessible service.

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