Fort Mill Economic Partners proposes $400K microtransit pilot to boost northern York County nightlife and tourism

Fort Mill Economic Partners on Monday asked York County officials to consider helping fund a one‑year microtransit pilot intended to connect hotels, restaurants and entertainment districts north of the Catawba River.

Mariah Price, executive director of Fort Mill Economic Partners, said the organization has been listening to local businesses and restaurants and that the pilot is intended “to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing microtransit as an economic development driver in the Northern York County area by implementing a pilot program between major lifestyle districts.”

The pilot as presented would operate year‑round, roughly 40 hours per week, with a 10–15 minute target wait time using three to four vehicles. Riders inside the service geofence would pay $2 per trip, the presenters said. The total one‑year cost for the scoped service area, including startup, marketing and vehicle charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, was presented as “just a little above $400,000.”

Proponents said the pilot is a data exercise: the provider’s platform would supply month‑by‑month reports on ridership growth, trips per vehicle, trip origins and destinations, and surveys about rider experience and price sensitivity. “We think it’s very important that we show that it actually works before you go head first into something like this,” Price told…