TARC testing pilot program for on-demand ride share service in New Albany

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- The Transit Authority of River City (TARC) is testing out a new program in southern Indiana. It's called TARC On-Demand.

TARC testing pilot program for on-demand service in New Albany, Indiana — With these vans, TARC is testing a pilot program for on-demand service in New Albany, Indiana. (WDRB image from April 9, 2024)

TARC On-Demand is a six month pilot version of a ride share service operated by TARC, allowing customers to book rides in real time through an app. There will be multiple vans used for the service, according to TARC.

"The service uses a technology similar to what Uber and Lyft uses, so when you download the app, you register and you'll see the zone you're in and you can schedule a ride just like you would the Uber or Lyft app," said Rob Stephens, TARC's chief operating officer.

According to TARC, riders can go from point-to-point or get connected with a bus stop within designated zones. New Albany was chosen as one of two zones to test the service. In New Albany, the zone will cover the entire city including downtown, the Grant Line Industrial Park and Indiana University Southeast.

"Many of our students do not have transportation and so they could use this to go to the grocery store, or run other errands, or even get to a job within the city of New Albany," said Amanda Stonecipher, Indiana University Southeast vice chancellor for student engagement.

TARC map shows New Albany service zone for on-demand pilot program. (WDRB image from April 9, 2024)

William Offutt is one of the TARC On-Demand drivers. He said he believes this program will fill a need in the community.

"There's a lot of people that can't drive and others that, you know, their vehicles are down, and I'm here to help them get where they need to go," he said.

According to TARC, on-demand transit is an increasingly popular way to serve the need for short, local trips without the cost of adding a new, fixed route. TARC said it completed a feasibility study for on-demand transit in 2022 and decided to move ahead with the pilot program to test the service last year.

"With New Albany in particular, it's going to expand the knowledge of the city, community involvement, and the accessibility to get out and do things that other people, you know, participate in on a weekly or a daily basis," said Offutt.

Stephens said the TARC On-Demand program launched in New Albany on April 1.

"It's a slow start, but we're getting more people every day," he said.

Stephens said TARC will gauge the success of the pilot program and measure how people respond to the service.

"We want to focus on the customer experience, make sure that we're giving value there, connecting customers to our fixed-route network and providing point-to-point inside the zone," said Stephens.

According to TARC, for the first 30 days of the pilot, each trip that ends at a TARC stop will be free. After that, it will cost $2 for each trip that ends at a TARC bus stop. TARC's number 71 Jeffersonville-Louisville-New Albany line is the primary fixed route line serving New Albany. Trips that go to other destinations within the zone will cost $5.

Hours of service are: