Sugar Land, TX – Sugar Land City Council recently approved an agreement with Fort Bend County to help fund a Microtransit Pilot Program with $1.5 million from voter-approved 2023 mobility bonds.
Sugar Land's microtransit service will be the first of its kind in the Texas Gulf Coast region.
The city’s citizen-led Mobility Master Plan identifies the need for more transit options in Sugar Land. The plan includes extensive public input from Sugar Land residents.
“Our residents continue to identify mobility as one of their top priorities,” said City Engineer Jessie Li. “This was reaffirmed in our most recent Citizen Satisfaction Survey. This Microtransit Pilot Program is one example of how we are answering the community’s call for a new, bold direction for mobility investments in Sugar Land."
Fort Bend County’s mobility bond funds will be combined with a $3.5 million Federal grant received through the H-GAC Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) Commuter and Transit Services Pilot Program to help fund an on-demand, shared public transit service using smaller vehicles (vans/minivans) to operate within a designated zone in Sugar Land. The fleet will feature electric vehicles, including at least one hybrid electric option that is wheelchair accessible.
The microtransit service will complement the existing transit services offered by Fort Bend Transit with on-demand, day-of rides and connections to their commuter park and ride lots located in Sugar Land. Fares will be around $2 per trip.
Residents within the pilot program area will be able to book rides to many popular destinations within the service area zone, such as the regional airport, Constellation Field, Smart Financial Center, the Methodist Hospital, First Colony Mall. St. Lukes Hospital, two commuter park & ride lots, libraries, the University of Houston Sugar Land campus, parks, and a variety of shopping and dining spots.
“This public transit pilot program was identified by our resident as a way to connect people to jobs, schools, shopping, and other essential services,” said Transportation and Mobility Manager Melanie Beaman. “If successful, we envision expanding theh program throughout the Sugar Land and will pursue additional Federal funding, public-private partnerships and other subsidies so that fares remain low for passengers."
The Federal grant funds cover 80 percent of the total cost to operate the service for three years. Additional funding was requested from Fort Bend County during the 2023 Mobility Bond in order to provide the required 20 percent local match over the course of the three-year-long pilot.
The pilot project is another example of Sugar Land’s commitment to being relentless in looking for opportunities to partner with state and Federal funding sources to reduce the financial impact to residents while also delivering mobility projects that support quality of life, economic development and tourism.
To learn more, visit www.sugarlandtx.gov/2792/Microtransit-Pilot-Project.