Microtransit’s Rise: How OnDemand Rideshare is Redefining Public Transit in Hampton Roads
Microtransit is transforming mobility options in Hampton Roads, thanks largely to the rapid growth of Hampton Roads Transit’s (HRT) current OnDemand Rideshare service.
OnDemand Rideshare works like Uber and Lyft but operates in designated zones, filling gaps where fixed-route service is limited. Unlike traditional ridesharing, OnDemand matches multiple passengers heading in the same general direction for just $2 per ride, the same fare as HRT’s other modes of transit.
Public transportation is evolving to include more efficient, economical ways to get people where they need to go. Staying at the forefront, HRT was the first public transit agency in Virginia to add OnDemand Rideshare to its list of services. This move followed a 2019 feasibility study on microtransit, the industry term for this service.
“Other agencies were beginning to dabble in microtransit,” explains Amy Braziel, Director of Contracted Services and Operational Analytics. “HRT decided it would be a good idea to look into it.”
Identifying zones
The study identified potential OnDemand zones and, working with provider Via Transportation, HRT launched an OnDemand pilot program in Newport News and Virginia Beach in the summer of 2022. The pilot program was funded by a Transit Ridership Incentive Program (TRIP) grant from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and matching funds from each city. The pilot program proved a great success.
HRT brought the OnDemand service back to Newport News and Virginia Beach in the fall of 2024 for an additional one-year pilot. Although service ended in Virginia Beach, OnDemand expanded to Chesapeake and Hampton in January 2026 and is already getting great results. Newport News was eager to continue; ridership in that zone is over 7,000 per month.
“It’s a big number,” Braziel says. “That’s what a mature system looks like.”
Increasing mobility
Via Transportation also helped Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) launch its microtransit service. MicroCAT began operating two zones funded entirely by Albemarle County in the fall of 2023. Unlike HRT, MicroCAT allows travel between zones, a move meant to make public transit in the area more robust. Garland Williams, Director of Transit at CAT, says it was the “right call.”
“The service has grown faster than we anticipated,” Williams says. “Demand is greater than capacity.” According to Williams, MicroCAT can meet about 75 percent of the requested rides. Still, he says, there’s been “no downside to the service.”
“Increased mobility options make it easier for folks to get around,” Williams says. “The goal for any transit agency should be to provide as many options as possible to make it easy, efficient, and reliable.” Williams believes every transit agency will eventually have an OnDemand component and expects to see big changes in the next five to seven years.
McCall Huston, General Manager, Partner Operations at Via Transportation, agrees, noting that microtransit is growing in popularity. He calls it “a newer and more innovative way to get people where they need to go.”
It allows for stronger connectivity in areas where you can’t run a bus route,” Huston says. “It allows more people to be connected, and it’s comfortable and convenient.” He says microtransit also helps bring more people into the public transit system.
As HRT works to optimize its system in the coming years, OnDemand is poised to play a big role by potentially adding more zones in more cities, while inefficient bus routes will be replaced by microtransit zones. Bus operators from those routes will be moved to high-demand routes and utilized to expand the 757 Express service.
“They will take over the public transportation option in those areas,” Braziel explains. “Microtransit will connect people to fixed routes, so riders won’t lose service.”
According to Braziel, 13 microtransit zones have been identified, and the goal is to have it available in every city served by HRT within the next three years.
