CABS reports 10% ridership gain, approves fourth-quarter claim and signs TripMaster portal

Christie Rude presented the Tippecanoe-area CABS fourth-quarter operating claim and a year-end operations summary to the Kosciusko County commissioners on Feb. 10.

Rude said CABS incurred eligible operating expenses for the quarter and provided documentation for review. She reported CABS completed 44,858 on-demand rides in 2025, a 10.3 percent increase over the prior year, and completed 771 rides on a newly added deviated route. System productivity improved to 2.66 rides per hour (from 2.44 in 2024) and the denial rate was 1.13 percent. Rude said local revenue and partnerships helped cover expenses after state and federal allocations were exhausted.

Rude also said the agency signed contracts for TripMaster to power on-demand scheduling and an online passenger portal, which she said will offer trip reminders and an online scheduling portal for passengers. Commissioners moved, seconded and approved the fourth-quarter claim.

What’s next: CABS will deploy TripMaster features and pursue grant support for potential future automation; the agency will provide ongoing operational reports to the county.