Star Transit officials told the Mesquite City Council on July 21 that integrating UberX Share into local service and a new shuttle contract for Canadian Solar have driven ridership increases and lower wait times, and presented two budget options for the council to consider.

The update, delivered by Tommy Hendricks, executive director of Star Transit, and Kim Britton, deputy executive director, came during a pre-meeting briefing. Star Transit said it provides about 215,000 trips annually across Kaufman and parts of Dallas-area suburbs, that roughly 80% of trips serve riders who are elderly or disabled, and that Mesquite receives 112 service-hours per day from the agency under its existing agreement with the city.

Why it matters: Star Transit’s newest services affect Mesquite residents’ access to jobs, medical care and routine errands. Council members flagged budget and street-capacity questions as they weighed whether to increase the city’s Uber subsidy to match strong demand.

Star Transit presented two budget options. Option 1 would keep service hours and the current Uber cap unchanged; that scenario would cost the city about $46,000 per month under the FY26 rate Star Transit’s board approved (an hourly reimbursement rate of $58.50). Option 2 would double the city’s Uber budget to $100,000 for the year (a roughly $50,000 annual increase to the city) and is projected to roughly double monthly Uber rides from about 1,100–1,200 to approximately 2,400–2,500 trips per month. Star Transit said the agency can set back-end caps (daily and per-rider limits) to manage costs.

Details and questions from council members: Britton said Star Transit’s demand-response service averages a little over 2,200 trips per month and that denials (unserved trips) are under 10%. The new same-day “StarNow” service (launched in November and active Saturdays) operates in the Mesquite city limits and uses fare zones: $2 per in-zone trip for riders 13–59 and $1 for veterans, those 60+ and riders with disabilities; personal care attendants and children 12 and under ride free. Britton said the agency ran more than 500 trips for Canadian Solar in its first month of that new employer shuttle arrangement.

Council members asked where the additional municipal funds would come from; staff answered that the city’s general fund currently contributes (after reimbursements) roughly 60% of monthly expenses and that TxDOT and Federal Transit Administration reimbursements cover the remainder. Councilmember Burrows asked about the source and staff confirmed the city general fund pays the local share. Councilmember Green asked how many additional Uber trips the expanded budget would buy; Star Transit estimated doubling from roughly 1,100–1,200 to about 2,400–2,500 per month, noting the daily cap now is 54 Uber trips and that cap has been reached daily.

Operational context and constraints: Star Transit emphasized that the Mesquite agreement sets service-hour windows (current weekday hours run to 8 p.m. in Mesquite under the city agreement) and that those hours can be adjusted only by amending the agreement. Britton noted Star Transit does not receive a dedicated sales tax and that some service expansion depends on grant funding secured by the regional council of governments, which reduced the city’s net cost this year.

What’s next: Councilmembers said they wanted more detailed monthly cost and ridership projections before approving an immediate increase. Star Transit said it expected more solidized figures within the week and that staff would present formal funding options for council consideration.

Ending: Council members praised Star Transit’s employer partnerships and said they were receptive to an expanded Uber subsidy if the numbers showed continuing demand and manageable fiscal impact.