Ford’s Transit vans, will soon be shuttling people around in Kansas City. The automaker’s teaming up with ride provider Bridj and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority to boost public transportation in KC as part of its Smart Mobility plan. The project called “Ride KC: Bridj” and launches in early March.
This is how it will work: Kansas City residents call up the Bridj app (available in iOS and Android), input their location and their destination, and then choose from a list of available prearranged times that one of Ford’s shuttles will arrive at a nearby pop-up bus stop. By selecting one of the times, the rider is reserving a seat on that shuttle, each of which can only carry 14 passengers.
Matt George, Bridj’s CEO, says “only 18 percent of jobs in the Kansas City region are accessible within 90 minutes when using existing mass transit options.” The group is hoping that the project can create more “social and economic opportunities” for everyone in the area.
The one-year pilot program initially will include downtown Kansas City, the near east and west sides, Hospital Hill, Crown Center, portions of Midtown, University of Kansas Medical Center, and the Historic 18th and Vine Jazz district. As more riders use the service and more data is collected, more neighborhoods will be added, the organizers say. The service will essentially operate as an on-demand private bus service with a blessing from the city’s public transportation agency.
