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Greenville approves Spare contract to pilot on-demand microtransit in north-side zone
Summary
The council approved a contract with software provider Spare to launch a microtransit shared-ride pilot in the area north of the river. Council approved the contract 6-0; staff said first-year cost is about $82,000 with $61,500 in years two and three and an anticipated late-summer start.
The Greenville City Council voted unanimously on March 24 to award a contract for microtransit shared-ride software and services to Spare and to pilot the service in the zone north of the Tar River.
Public Works staffer Kevin Mulligan told the council the contract provides app- and phone-based scheduling, customer service, marketing support and system integration. Mulligan said the city plans to start the service in "Zone 4," described as the area north of the river, with service expected "late in the summer" when vehicles arrive. He said the first-year cost for the service is $82,000 with roughly $61,500 forecast for years two and three.
The pilot will operate as a curb-to-curb service within the designated zone rather than citywide. Mulligan described the user experience as app-based or phone-based scheduling with the vehicle picking riders up at or near their homes and transporting them to destinations within the zone; riders could then transfer to fixed-route buses for longer trips. City staff said Spare will assist with marketing and customer service, and the city will integrate microtransit into an existing app the staff expects to brand as "Spot." The council and staff also discussed extending transit hours; Mulligan said planned extended hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and that Saturday hours were expected to be approximately 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., though he said he would "clarify Saturday" in follow-up remarks.
Councilmember Blackburn moved approval of the contract; Mayor Pro Tem Monica Daniels seconded. The motion passed 6–0. Council discussion was supportive and framed the service as part of a larger set of transit improvements including bus stop upgrades, cashless fares and additional vehicles.
Implementation details: staff indicated the app will be integrated with existing fixed-route vehicle location displays, the pilot will be confined to the north-of-river zone, and vehicles must be delivered before service begins. Council and staff did not set a firm service-launch date during the meeting; Mulligan said late summer is the expected timeframe.
Provenance: Presentation and discussion appear when staff described the contract and council voted to approve it.
