A new transit program serving parts of Arlington with limited bus access has largely been connecting riders to Ballston and East Falls Church, data shows.
Arlington’s “microtransit” pilot initiative has provided about 1,500 on-demand rides since it launched in April, Katie O’Brien, spokesperson for Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services, told ARLnow. About 50% of these were near the Metro stations in either Ballston (27%) or East Falls Church (23%).
The program offers rides in a large portion of northwestern Arlington and in the Westover neighborhood, with destinations including VHC Health and the Madison Community Center. Schools within the coverage area include Yorktown High School, Bishop O’Connell High School, Swanson Middle School and Williamsburg Middle School.
It’s intended as a “stopgap” measure in portions of the county that don’t have enough ridership to justify more investment in buses, according to a project page.
“The pilot period will be used to collect and evaluate passenger feedback and ridership patterns to determine how microtransit can best be tailored to Arlington County,” O’Brien said.
It’s currently funded through a combination of county dollars and funding from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. State funding runs out at the end of fiscal year 2027.
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Passengers’ first six rides on the microtransit service are free. After that, the cost per ride for most passengers is $4.50, most of the time.
The following discounted rates apply:
- Rides connecting to or from the East Falls Church Metro station and the Ballston Metro station: $2.25
- Seniors, people with disabilities, and K-12 students: $2.25
- Additional passengers: $2.25 each
- Children under 5: free
The service operates Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m., and Saturday from 7 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Three vehicles are in operation, and one vehicle may pick up passengers from multiple stops. Wheelchair accessible rides are available.
