$5.2M from infrastructure bill to bring public-sector rideshare service to Bethel

“Mobility on Demand” most often refers to private ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, but some local governments currently or previously offered cheaper public-sector MoD programs including in Volusia County, western Palm Beach County, Sarasota County and Cape Coral in Florida; Southwest Ohio; Round Rock, Texas; and Bartlesville, Okla.

The $5.2 million grant funded through the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law will bring such a ride-share program and app to the Bethel School District boundaries for three years. LTD described the project as a pilot that will be “easily scalable to similar rural and low-income areas across Lane County.”

In the announcement, Bethel School District Superintendent Kraig Sproles promoted the pilot as a way to provide transportation for Bethel students participating in after-school activities, and LTD CEO Jameson Auten promoted its potential for “transportation to work, school, medical appointments, even grocery shopping.”