Buckhead’s On-Demand, App-Based Shuttle Set to Expand Service Hours
Annual funding approved; Buc to begin uninterrupted 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekday service
ATLANTA – May 5, 2023 – The Buc, Buckhead’s on-demand microtransit service, will soon expand its operating hours, offering low-cost, door-to-door service Monday – Wednesday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursday – Friday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Since its launch in April 2022 the Buc has transported riders during morning and evening commutes, as well as the mid-day lunch hour. New funding approved last week will allow the Buc to provide uninterrupted service, making it an even more convenient local transportation option.
Livable Buckhead launched the Buc in April 2022 with the goal of using technology to expand access to convenient, affordable, sustainable transportation for residents, visitors and workers in Buckhead. The Buc has met that goal, steadily building ridership over the course of its first year and consistently earning high ratings for service quality.
“We are thrilled about the opportunity to provide an even better Buc experience as we head into our second year of on-demand service,” said Denise Starling, executive director of Livable Buckhead. “Operating all day opens an entirely new pool of potential riders, and we look forward to showing them how easy the Buc makes it to travel around Buckhead without the hassle of fighting traffic or the expense of calling a rideshare service.”
The number of trips taken on the Buc has increased by an average of 34% each month since its launch, and the total number of completed rides in March 2023 was more than three times the number taken during the Buc’s first month of operation in May 2022. Data on requests for rides indicate ridership could rise as much as 15% once the Buc begins uninterrupted service throughout the day.
This growth in ridership and the opportunity for expansion prompted the board of the Buckhead Community Improvement District, which funds the Buc, to renew the service through at least June 2024. Via, which provides transit tech software to more than 500 similar services globally, will continue to operate the service. A start date for the expanded hours of operation has not been determined but is expected to be within the next two months.
The Buc offers the sustainability and affordability of transit with the convenience and flexibility of a ride-hailing service. Using the Buc app, riders can book an on-demand, shared ride to any destination within the service zone. Rides to and from Buckhead’s two MARTA train stations are free and other trips are just $3 each. The service zone covers most of central Buckhead, stretching from the Buckhead Village up to Piedmont Center, and across GA 400 to the Lenox MARTA Station. A wheelchair accessible vehicle is available for request in the app. For more information visit www.bucride.org.
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About Livable Buckhead
Livable Buckhead is a nonprofit organization that strives to ensure the long-term viability and prosperity of the Buckhead community. The organization achieves its mission by working cooperatively with individuals, public entities and private businesses to integrate sustainable strategies. Livable Buckhead implements programs related to greenspace, recycling, energy efficiency, commute alternatives, arts and culture, real estate development and land use. For more information about Livable Buckhead and its programs, visit livablebuckhead.org.
About Buckhead CID
The objective of the Buckhead Community Improvement District (BCID), working with the City of Atlanta and its community partners, is to meet the challenges resulting from Buckhead’s rapid, primarily automobile-based growth, including improving safety, traffic mobility, enhancing the pedestrian environment, creating better access to public transit, initiating intra-district transportation alternatives, encouraging better integration of land uses and improving linkages to the region’s automobile, transit and bicycle networks.
About Via
Via builds innovative software to enable our customers – cities, transit agencies, transport operators, school districts, universities, and corporations – to transform their legacy transportation systems into advanced digital networks. As pioneers of the TransitTech category, Via’s mission is to expand access to efficient, affordable, and sustainable transportation. Via’s software enables organizations to digitize their existing transportation networks and launch new and innovative services, simultaneously lowering operating costs and increasing quality of service. Our software is used in over 500 communities in more than 35 countries around the world.
