West Palm Beach’s new transit service is expanding this week after a launch that city leaders called an encouraging start.
West Palm Move, a low-cost service that serves the downtown and other city neighborhoods east of Interstate 95, averaged about 50 passengers a day during the first three days of its opening week, city records show.
This week brings what the city hopes is another big step forward: West Palm Move has started up its on-demand service.
The on-demand service operates similarly to Uber, picking people up from any location in the city east of I-95. From there it either takes them to a destination within the city or to the closest stop on the fixed-route service.
Like Uber, travelers can order an on-demand ride from their phone. Unlike
Uber, the vehicle that picks you up may carry other passengers as well.
A West Palm Move mobile phone application is now available for download.
Jessica Keller, the city’s parking and mobility administrator, called the first week a strong start for the “soft launch” of the new fixed-route service, pointing out that the city’s previous service, RideWPB, averaged just 75 riders per day.
The fixed route runs $1 shuttles from the Norton Museum of Art on the city’s south side through downtown to the Northwood Village commercial district in the north end, with about 18 northbound stops and 18 southbound stops.
The on-demand component, which launched Sept. 15, serves anyone in the city east of Interstate 95 and costs $2 per ride, with the fee also covering any transfer to a fixed-route shuttle. Wait times for the service are intended to be no more than 15 minutes.
The on-demand service runs seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
West Palm Move is operated by transit company Via through a city contract.
Keller said in an interview that the service's soft launch allows the city and Via to use the first few weeks “really to work out any of the kinks.”
With its ability to transport people with a combination of fixed-route and on-demand services, Keller said West Palm Move will be unlike any other municipal transit service in Florida.
“This is unique,” she said. “You’re not going to see it anywhere else in Florida and very likely the country.”
“There are similar services but of a rural nature,” she continued. “This is the first in an urban environment that I’m aware of.”
Andrew Marra is a reporter for The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at amarra@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: West Palm's new transit service now comes to you
