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McLean County launches ConnectGo rural transit pilot; staff report first-week metrics
Summary
County officials and Connect Transit staff reported on the first week of ConnectGo, a new rural on-demand transportation service. Staff said the program provided 36 rides in its first four days with an 82% on-time rate and eight ride denials mainly due to scheduling constraints.
McLean County’s new rural transportation pilot, ConnectGo, began service July 1 and completed its first week of operations, county staff reported at Tuesday’s Land Use and Transportation Committee meeting.
County Administrator Cassie Taylor introduced the program and invited Connect Transit staff to present initial performance metrics. Mark Hoffman, marketing manager for Connect Transit, said staff provided 36 rides in the first four days of service and denied eight ride requests; the denials were due primarily to scheduling conflicts rather than eligibility. “We have an 82% on-time rating,” Hoffman said, noting a software error had affected early on‑time reporting and had been fixed.
Service details and demand: Hoffman said the agency is running an 8 a.m.–5 p.m. on‑demand service and so far has served origins and destinations including Bloomington, Cooksville, Downs, Heyworth, Hudson, Leroy, Lexington and Normal. Most rides have been for shopping, with medical and work trips also recorded. The pilot is currently fare‑free to mimic previous services, though staff said fares could be adjusted later.
Operations and next steps: Brandon Miles, rural coordinator, and other staff are adjusting schedules and training dispatch as demand patterns emerge. Hoffman said when a request is denied staff follow up to offer the next available time; denials to date were timing related and not service eligibility denials. The county said it will track metrics and refine schedules as it gains experience with demand and routing.
Why it matters: ConnectGo fills gaps in rural mobility by offering flexible, on‑demand trips for residents who previously lacked convenient transit options. Committee members praised staff for producing early metrics and asked for continued reporting as the program scales.
No committee action was required; staff sought no votes on operations at the meeting.
