Lessons Learned by King County Metro
On-demand shuttle services draw the most riders when deployed in areas where they significantly improve access to jobs compared to traditional bus or other fixed-route service.
On-demand shuttles work best when connecting to very frequent service like light rail and very active bus routes. The service doesn’t work as well to connect to lower frequency bus routes or the Water Taxi, which sails every 30 minutes during peak periods.
On-demand shuttles like Ride2 can be a successful model to feed Metro’s fixed-route system. There is a higher than 90% transfer rate between Ride2s and traditional bus system or water taxi, as was intended.
Riders really liked the convenience of Ride2, and services performed within the targeted wait time of 10 minutes or less, and the targeted in-vehicle time of 15 minutes or less.
Greater efficiencies can be gained from operating on-demand shuttle service in connected areas, like Via to Transit in southeast Seattle and Tukwila, since vehicles can cross between service areas. In contrast, Ride2 has fixed fleets that can only serve one specific service area.
