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Board approves Leesburg on‑demand microtransit pilot after debate over equity analysis
Summary
The Loudoun County Board accepted a Title VI equity analysis and authorized a two‑month on‑demand microtransit pilot in Leesburg, after members debated whether the federal analysis captures effects on current riders of routes 55 and 56.
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted to accept a Title VI equity analysis and proceed with a Leesburg on‑demand microtransit pilot intended to replace (on a trial basis) existing fixed routes in the area.
Board members and staff said the pilot will run two full months with traditional fixed‑route service maintained during the trial so riders may choose either service while staff conducts outreach and surveys. Supervisor Phyllis Randall said the pilot will allow staff to "educate, inform, receive positive feedback, or constructive feedback from the ridership" and that a negative public response would be a data point used to halt the transition.
Why it matters: The pilot is intended to improve wait and ride times for routes 55 and 56 in the Leesburg area. Staff said fixed‑route waits currently average 45–50 minutes and an on‑demand model could reduce waits and ride times by offering more direct trips.
What the board discussed: Vice Chair Turner and Supervisor Glass both expressed concerns about the county’s adopted Title VI equity test, which compares the demographic composition of census blocks to the demographics of the bus service area and treats a difference of 5 percentage points or less as not discriminatory. Turner said that method "doesn't account at all for the demographic of the actual riders on the bus" and worried the analysis could miss an adverse impact if low‑income riders disproportionately used the fixed routes. He said he would vote against acceptance of the analysis "to make the point" that the methodology is flawed.
Staff and the consultant told the board the pilot will include an intensive outreach and multilingual education campaign during the first two months, plus real‑time surveying of ridership to measure impacts. Loudoun transit staff said the pilot will operate with a mix of vehicles, and at least one wheelchair‑accessible paratransit vehicle will be available in the on‑demand fleet; Scott Gross, Loudoun County Transit, said "one of them will always be a wheelchair vehicle" and explained that wheelchair trip requests will be assigned to the accessible vehicle and served curb‑to‑curb.
Funding and timeline: Staff told the board that grant funding tied to the pilot is already in hand and the vote to accept the Title VI analysis will not put grant funds at risk.
Vote: The motion to accept the Title VI analysis and proceed with the Leesburg on‑demand pilot passed (board reported tally: 4 yes, 2 no, 3 members off the dais). The board directed staff to implement the outreach plan and monitor impacts on existing riders and on routes 55 and 56.
Next steps: Staff will run the pilot and report back to the board with ridership and equity findings; if results show significant negative impacts the county said it will not proceed to full replacement of the fixed routes.
