Bobbie King, transit services director for Volusia County, told the Orange City Council that Votran’s microtransit pilot, Vowride, is operating in DeLand, Orange City, Deltona and DeBary and already is moving more people than some low‑ridership fixed routes.

“Route 30 runs in DeLand, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday,” King said in a presentation that also outlined service details for Routes 31 and 33 and the county’s paratransit service. She described Vowride’s fare structure: “It’s $2 per one‑way trip for up to 5 miles and a dollar per mile, with a maximum cost of $7 for a 10‑mile trip. No trips allowed over 10 miles.”

King said Vowride is intended for short trips and first‑/last‑mile connections to buses. She told the council Votran also provides half fares for seniors and other qualifying riders and operates VO Access for riders with disabilities who require paratransit service.

“We're now providing 2,000 trips a week on Vowride, which is over 25% more trips than we were when we had the fixed route bus in those places,” King said, describing the microtransit pilot as “a much more efficient, more effective way to provide transit” in areas with sparse demand.

Council members asked whether reservations can be made online or by phone and whether Vowride is curb‑to‑curb. King said reservations are available by app and phone and that Vowride typically runs curb‑to‑curb; door‑to‑door service is available in select cases for riders who indicate a need.

King said Votran also has adjusted its holiday staffing after low ridership on major holidays and has added prebooking for some SunRail connection points. She described a new scheduling app that allows riders to plan, book and pay for trips and said the agency runs about 600 trips a day countywide.

Why it matters: Microtransit models like Vowride can reduce operating costs while expanding rides in low‑density areas, but they can also change where fixed-route service is offered. Council members will weigh those tradeoffs in future service and budget discussions.

What comes next: King said Votran will continue monitoring ridership and tweak schedules; council members indicated they may follow up with questions about eligibility criteria, accessibility and connections to DeLand and Deltona services.