Capital Area Transit touts microtransit 'Link' in Baker, promises more shelters and accessible pads
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Summary
Capital Area Transit executive director Theo Richards told the Baker City Council that the agency’s on‑demand 'Link' service has grown since 2022, reporting about 250,000 Link trips overall, and outlined plans to add 100 shelters systemwide and install 5×8 accessible concrete pads at stops across the service area.
Theo Richards, executive director for Capital Area Transit (CATS), described the agency’s microtransit service, branded 'Link,' to the City of Baker council and residents.
Richards said Link, launched in Baker in 2022, allows riders to hail a small‑van trip by phone or app to identified points of interest. He told the council that Link has carried "well over 250,000 trips" since 2022 and provided about 50,000 Link trips in 2025, and described the service as an alternative to fixed‑route buses that brings riders to destinations including Walmart and City Hall.
Why it matters: Council members and residents pressed CATS for specifics about passenger amenities. Baker residents described locations where riders now wait in the rain; Richards said the agency will add covered shelters and benches at identified stops and provide the city with a location list.
Richards also outlined infrastructure work: the agency plans to bring all stops into compliance with accessibility standards by installing 5‑by‑8‑foot concrete pads at stops. He said about 400 pads have been completed and roughly 400 remain, and that CATS intends to install roughly 100 shelters across the service area over the next calendar year. Richards said CATS is partnering on a phase‑one transfer/parking facility adjacent to Bethany’s Church to allow park‑and‑ride access and connections to Route 10, which links Baton Rouge and Baker.
Residents asked whether Baker Boulevard and other high‑use stops will receive shelters; Richards confirmed those locations are included and said he would follow up with a list for the council. A resident argued shelters are important because riders wait in the rain; Richards and council members agreed on the need to accelerate amenity installation.
Richards also noted CATS’s third‑party service partner, Via, has ranked Link among top performing microtransit services, and he described paratransit door‑to‑door service for riders who qualify through an application process.
What’s next: Richards said CATS will provide the council with a breakdown of where shelters will be located and an update on the transfer‑facility timeline. The council did not take action on transit funding or contracts during the meeting.