‘The Hop’ reports ridership surge, asks Killeen to renew $650,000 annual match

KILLEEN, Texas — Hill Country Transit District (The Hop) told the Killeen City Council on June 3 that its switch from fixed-route service to microtransit has sharply increased ridership and improved performance, and the agency requested the city renew a $650,000 annual local match that helps leverage federal and state operating grants.

Daryl Bertner, assistant general manager for the Hop, said the agency ran the new urban microtransit network for eight months and saw systemwide trips of 234,211 through April 25; including five additional weeks of service since his slide set was prepared, he said the tally had grown to about 272,000 systemwide. He reported 97,328 passenger trips in Killeen through April 25 and estimated that number would total roughly 119,286 after the most recent weeks. Bertner said average rider reviews were in the low 90s and on-time performance was above 80 percent in most cities served.

“We switched from a fixed route system to a microtransit system, which was a major transformation … it has exceeded our goals,” Bertner told the council, summarizing the service metrics and outreach the Hop has undertaken. He said median wait times fell to under 14 minutes and customer satisfaction ratings have averaged in the low- to mid-90s.

The Hop asked Killeen to maintain a $650,000 contribution for fiscal year 2026, the same request the city approved in prior years. Bertner explained the local contribution is mostly used as match money to unlock larger federal and state grants. “That money goes towards match to federal and state grants… for every million dollars we might receive from the federal government, we have to come up with $200,000,” he said, describing the typical 80/20 pattern in federal transit funding.

Council members pressed for detail on how the Hop calculates each city’s share of local match. Council Member Kendrick queried why Killeen’s implied per-rider local cost appeared higher than other participant cities. He ran a quick per-rider calculation and said Killeen’s share equates to roughly $3.65 per rider; Bertner responded that federal and state formulas determine each member city’s portion and depend on multiple variables — population, land area, density and reported ridership — and he offered to provide the formula to the council for review.

Bertner said the program’s funding mix includes Federal Transit Administration grants, state funds from TxDOT, local city contributions and passenger fares. He also told council members that as the Hop gains operational efficiency it expects to reinvest any internal savings into additional service improvements such as expanded service areas, more vehicles, or weekend service restoration.

No council vote was taken; the presentation was part of the city’s community partner budget hearings. Council members praised the Hop’s responsiveness to customer emails and its outreach to seniors who needed training on the microtransit app.