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Addison council approves six‑month Via pilot for on‑demand microtransit and paratransit despite one dissent
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Summary
Council authorized a six‑month contract with Via to provide on‑demand microtransit and paratransit service (initial cap $872,231) and approved a related budget amendment; staff and vendor highlighted GoPass integration, paratransit continuity and performance metrics while residents urged caution over regional connectivity and election‑period marketing.
The Addison City Council voted to approve a six‑month contract with Via Transportation Inc. to provide on‑demand microtransit and paratransit services, with a not‑to‑exceed initial figure of $872,231 for the pilot term.
City staff (Ashley, speaker 28) described the proposed service as a town‑wide zone operated on a dedicated, branded fleet (seven active vehicles, three wheelchair‑accessible, plus two spares) with seven rally points that connect to regional bus and rail lines. Staff said Via would provide an all‑inclusive vehicle‑hour fee ($61.10 per vehicle hour in the quoted model), data dashboards, monthly reporting, and a six‑month transit study to evaluate long‑term needs.
Via representatives demonstrated how the company integrates with GoPass and a town’s journey‑planning flow, saying the service can be booked through a branded Via app or by telephone. Saresh (Via, speaker 9) said, “Via is natively integrated with GoPass,” and Via staff described target performance metrics the town negotiated: a 12‑minute average wait time and a 5‑minute passenger wait guarantee for door‑to‑door residential service.
Council members and public speakers raised several operational and policy questions during a lengthy discussion: how paratransit riders would be transitioned if DART service ended, whether rally points (many existing DART stops) have shelters, if service levels and the number of vehicles are adequate to meet Addison’s daytime visitor load, fare policy and transfer rules, and the legal risk of allowing contractor marketing during the pending DART withdrawal election. The city attorney cautioned about promotional messaging, and staff secured a written acknowledgement from Via that town resources and funding cannot be used for materials that could be construed as advocating for or against the election.
During public comment, resident Chanel Blanton urged council not to “hand over our keys to a brand new regional engine and choose to walk instead,” referencing economic and rider‑access concerns if the town withdraws from DART. Other speakers urged transparency on costs and continuity for paratransit and for any marketing plans that use public funds.
After an executive session for legal advice on item 5A, the council returned to open session and approved the Via contract; the transcript recorded one council member (Dan Lizzio) as opposed. The council also approved a matching budget amendment to appropriate funds for the pilot at the contract amount approved by council.
Staff said Via will begin onboarding and outreach immediately to enroll paratransit riders and prepare for service launch dates identified in the contract; several councilmembers asked staff and the vendor to return with more specific operational data and to post performance dashboards for public transparency.
No final vote was taken tonight on any longer‑term arrangement; the six‑month pilot and the accompanying study were approved so the town can test operations and gather data to inform future decisions.
