Star Transit reports 20,000 trips in Lancaster's first year, asks council to consider adding UberX share and regional bus

Star Transit presented its first-year results and budget options to the Lancaster City Council at the July 20 work session, reporting more than 20,000 trips in Lancaster since service began in October and describing near-term options to reduce wait times and increase capacity. The agency's executive director (speaker 13) said the micro-transit and demand-response service has broad use among seniors and other riders and recommended adding a TNC (UberX) subsidy and pursuing a shared regional bus.

"We hit the 20,000 ride milestone," the director said, summarizing ridership and performance metrics. Star Transit described two distinct services: demand-response (origin-to-destination trips booked in advance) and micro-transit (same-day curb-to-curb service bookable via app). The presenter said all vehicles are ADA compliant and that fares range from $2 to $12 (with a half fare for riders 60+, veterans and disabled riders). Star Transit noted about 1,100 unique Lancaster riders and said roughly 50% of micro-transit rides are provided by Uber under the current TNC arrangement.

On budget, Star Transit said the board set a cost-of-service rate of $60.50 per hour for FY27. Keeping service levels unchanged would cost the city an estimated "just a little over $144,000" per year (about $12,000 monthly) under the status quo; Star Transit said it can secure grants that offset much of the program cost (the presentation listed roughly $385,000 in available grants against a total cost slightly above $530,000). To expand availability and reduce average wait times — currently higher than the 15- to 20-minute target — the agency proposed two options: add an Uber subsidy (the agency proposed a $25,000 city match that would be matched by a grant to add approximately 4,000 trips annually) or pursue a regionally shared dedicated bus (one vehicle shared among neighboring cities, with participating cities splitting the cost). The presenter recommended the UberX-share expansion based on usage data and said the shared-bus option could add about 1,000 annual rides per participating city.

Councilors asked operational questions about dispatching and geographic patterns; Star Transit said most Lancaster trips remain inside the southern regional zone but noted some medical trips to Dallas and Waxahachie. The city manager said options the agency presented would be incorporated into the city's operating budget; the current multi-year agreement requires amendment only if the council chooses to add new service components.

Star Transit did not request immediate contract renewal; instead, it sought council direction about adding services and noted grant timelines that make near-term decisions relevant to FY27 budgeting.