RideKC Freedom On-Demand winning over riders

RideKC Freedom On-Demand, Kansas City’s app-based, same-day transportation service, is enjoying great success just months after it was put on the street.

After five months, we’ve recorded a little more than 15,500 trips on RideKC Freedom On-Demand, which allows our paratransit customers to book cab rides any day, at any time without reserving a trip 24 hours ahead of time.

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority developed RideKC Freedom On-Demand as a new transportation alternative that gives our paratransit customers more travel flexibility.

Encouraging our customers to use RideKC On-Demand helps the KCATA save money that was previously spent on the traditional paratransit trips once known as Share-A-Fare.

For instance, the traditional paratransit trip used to cost $27.13 a trip compared to $15.80 a trip with the new service. So far this year, RideKC On-Demand has saved the Authority about $166,000.

“We are ecstatic about the popularity of Freedom On-Demand,” said Tyler Means, innovative services manager for the KCATA. “We are seeing some customers move away from using traditional paratransit services in favor of the new on-demand option.”

Freedom On-demand has proven to be a preferred transportation choice for some 300 customers. We surveyed the Freedom On-demand users and 75 percent to 80 percent viewed the service favorably.

“As we continue to make improvements to the service,” Means said, “it will be fascinating to see how customers react and how the service continues to grow.”