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O'CLOCK I CALL THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION[1. CALL SESSION TO ORDER]
FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 18TH, 2026 TO ORDER ROLL CALL COUNCILOR WARNER.[4.1. Discussion and possible action to engage with the high-ranked vendor from the Microtransit Service RFP and evaluate potential service models for implementation within the City of Hutto. (Kate Moriarty)]
ITEM FOUR ONE.DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ENGAGE THE HIGHEST RANKED VENDOR FROM THE MICRO TRANSIT SERVICES, RFP AND EVALUATE POTENTIAL SERVICE MODELS FOR IMPLEMENTATION WITHIN THE CITY OF
ANYTHING, MAYOR COUNCIL, KATE MORTY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
UM, THERE HAD BEEN PRIOR DIRECTION TO GO OUT FOR AN RFP FOR KIND OF A GENERAL MICRO TRANSIT RESPONSE, AND, UH, AS MENTIONED IN THE AGENDA ITEM TITLE, UM, VIA WAS THE HIGHEST RANK.
UM, RESPONDENTS, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE ON THAT SCORING COMMITTEE WERE THE COMMUNITY AND CULTURE OFFICER FOR THE CITY, INTERIM CITY ENGINEER, TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, AND MYSELF.
UM, AND THEN WITH THAT, I'LL LET YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND WE CAN GET STARTED.
UM, MAYOR, COUNCIL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME IN, UH, I WAIVE BRIEF INTRODUCTION.
SO I LEAD VIA TEXAS PARTNERSHIP EFFORT.
EFFECTIVELY, WHAT THAT MEANS IS I SPEND THE MAJORITY OF EVERY SINGLE WEEK GOING AROUND TO DIFFERENT CITIES, UM, SPEAKING WITH MUNICIPAL GROUPS, TRANSIT AGENCIES, AND UNDERSTANDING WHERE THEY'RE AT IN TERMS OF PUBLIC MOBILITY GOALS AND THEN WORKING ON VARIOUS SOLUTIONS, UH, FROM THERE.
SO, AGAIN, REALLY APPRECIATE JUST BEING ABLE TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION WITH YOU ALL.
WE WERE, OF COURSE, VERY EXCITED TO SEE THE RFP AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND.
UM, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT DIFFERENT MODELS AND ULTIMATELY OUR NUMBER ONE GOAL IS TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM REFLECT YOUR PRIORITIES.
I THINK IN TRANSIT, THAT IS SOMETHING ACROSS THE BOARD THAT WE SEE, BUT PARTICULARLY IN TEXAS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE COMMUNITIES OF SUCH VARYING SIZES.
MAKING THE PARAMETERS REALLY FIT THE TYPES OF PROGRAM GOALS YOU HAVE.
WE WANT TO BE STEWARDS OF YOUR VISION.
UM, SO MY PLAN TODAY, AND I WANT TO KEEP THIS VERY FLUID BECAUSE ULTIMATELY I WANT ALL OF YOU TO GET VALUE OUT OF IT, BUT I HAVE A FEW INTRODUCTORY SLIDES, JUST KIND OF A RECAP OF HOW WE'RE STRUCTURED, WHAT WE DO.
BUT THEN I'D REALLY LOVE TO JUST SPEND THE BULK OF THE DISCUSSION HAVING KIND OF A BACK AND FORTH WHERE I'D LIKE TO TALK THROUGH SOME CONCEPTS THAT I THINK WARRANT YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
AND WE CAN REALLY LOOK AT, UM, TAKING STEPS TOWARDS FINE TUNING EFFECTIVELY WHAT THIS PROGRAM MIGHT BE AND HOW WE WOULD GET THIS UP AND RUNNING IN A WAY THAT KEEPS YOU ALL EXCITED.
SO JUST QUICK CONTEXT ON VIA, AS A COMPANY, WE OPERATE WORLDWIDE.
I I'M CERTAINLY NOT GONNA GIVE YOU A SALES PITCH AND DO A STATISTICAL RUNDOWN.
WHAT I WOULD JUST EMPHASIZE IS THAT WE WORK IN A HUGE RANGE OF MARKETS.
UM, WE PROVIDE TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS, UH, EXPERTISE.
OUR REAL FORTE IS ON-DEMAND SOLUTIONS.
ON-DEMAND TRANSIT IS AN AREA WHERE FLEXIBILITY IS KEY.
I THINK THAT'S THE BIG VALUE PROPOSITION OF AN ON-DEMAND MODEL.
YOU CAN RIGHTSIZE IT TO AREAS THAT HAVE EVEN LOW POPULATIONS, YOU KNOW, SPARSE DENSITY, UM, AND IT'S VERY, VERY CUSTOMIZABLE.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I LIKE TO EMPHASIZE JUST THE FLEXIBILITY FACTOR BECAUSE VIAS TECHNOLOGY, OUR APPROACH IS ALSO POISED AND CENTERED AROUND FLEXIBILITY.
OUR MODEL, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES, DIFFERENT LOCAL INSIGHTS, AND FEED THAT INTO THE SYSTEM.
SO THE MAP ITSELF, I MEAN, IT'S A, IT'S A PRETTY BROAD ARRAY OF CITIES THAT ARE LARGE CITIES THAT ARE SMALL TRANSIT AGENCIES.
WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING HERE FROM OPERATING LARGE SCALE SERVICES FOR THE A DA COMMUNITY, THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO DOING MUCH MORE NICHE, YOU KNOW, TRANSIT REEVALUATION STUDIES.
UM, SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT ABOUT OUR TEXAS FOOTPRINT, IT IS VERY REAL.
THIS IS, I WOULD SAY ARGUABLY KIND OF OUR BIGGEST MARKET IN THE UNITED STATES.
BIASED I GREW UP HERE, BUT, UM, WE'LL LEAVE IT THERE.
IN TERMS OF THE MODEL, YOU KNOW, I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FLEXIBILITY BEING THE BIG BENEFIT OF AN ON-DEMAND SOLUTION AND THE FACT THAT OUR TECHNOLOGY REFLECTS THE KEY PIECE OF THAT FLEXIBILITY.
THE WAY THAT WE'RE STRUCTURED, JUST AT A HIGH LEVEL, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT INTRODUCING AN ON-DEMAND PROGRAM, IT STARTS FROM A WRITER STANDPOINT WITH A MOBILE APP.
SO WE CREATE A CUSTOM BRANDED APP.
IT'LL REFLECT, YOU KNOW, THE COLOR SCHEME, THE THEMES THAT YOU GUYS ARE EXCITED ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND ULTIMATELY AS AN INDIVIDUAL TRYING TO ENGAGE WITH THE SERVICE, ALL I NEED TO DO IS OPEN THE APP AND SAY, WHERE I'D LIKE TO GO FROM THERE GOES INTO THE SPHERE OF OUR ALGORITHMS. WE ULTIMATELY DETERMINE WHAT IS THE BEST VEHICLE TO SERVE THAT RIDE REQUEST.
SO DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF DAY, THE DESTINATION, WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS OPTIONS THAT WE CAN USE TO SERVE THAT RIDE.
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PRIORITY IS DELIVER A QUALITY RIDER EXPERIENCE.AND ALSO, UM, THEME OF EFFICIENCY.
ONE THAT FOR THE CITY IS ALSO COST EFFICIENT AND HIGH QUALITY.
UM, SO YOU SEE A FEW OF THE KIND OF END COMPONENTS HERE, WHETHER IT'S A DEDICATED WE PROVIDED FLEET OR A THIRD PARTY PLATFORM.
WE ARE, AGAIN, NOT TO OVERLY USE THE TERM, BUT VERY, VERY FLEXIBLE IF YOU GO WITH A DEDICATED FLEET MODEL OR IF A PORTION OF YOUR SERVICE IS A DEDICATED FLEET MODEL.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS VIA BRINGING OUR VEHICLE CUSTOM BRANDED CUSTOM DESIGN IT AROUND AGAIN, KIND OF THE, THE LOOK AND FEEL THAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU GUYS.
WE BRING THE DRIVER, WE PROVIDE THE TECHNOLOGY, AND WE ARE THEN, YOU KNOW, DAY IN, DAY OUT, SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY WITH THAT VEHICLE.
IT'S A VEHICLE THAT IS, AS THE NAME WOULD SUGGEST, DEDICATED TO HUDU.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I'M PULLING IN AND OUT TO GO TO DIFFERENT MARKETS.
UM, WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT MODEL LATER, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A QUICK PREVIEW THERE.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY BEFORE KIND OF WRAPPING UP JUST THE INTRO, THE DATA PIECE IS SOMETHING I I DEFINITELY WANT TO EMPHASIZE, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF A NEW PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO LEARN FROM THE EARLY DAYS, OPTIMIZE AS YOU GO.
SO THAT BEAUTIFULLY FLEXIBLE TECHNOLOGY, OF COURSE IS CAPTURING EVERY SINGLE INTERACTION THAT OCCURS WITHIN THE SERVICE.
AND IT'S BUILDING CHARTS TO ANALYZING IT IN REAL TIME.
YOU AS OUR PARTNER HAVE CONSTANT ACCESS TO THAT AND YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR ONGOING CHECK-IN MEETINGS, WE ARE WORKING WITH YOU TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, BASED ON THESE TRENDS THAT WE'RE SEEING, HOW CAN WE CONTINUOUSLY FINE TUNE AND OPTIMIZE SO THAT THIS ULTIMATELY DELIVERS THE TYPE OF SERVICE THAT IS, UM, INTERESTING TO YOU.
AS I SAID, THE, I REALLY WANTED TO INTENTIONALLY KIND OF GO THROUGH THIS QUICKLY SO WE CAN GET TO A DISCUSSION BEFORE DOING THAT THOUGH AND MAKING THE SHIFT.
ANY OPENING QUESTIONS? UM, I MEAN THE FLOOR IS YOURS TO ASK ME ANYTHING, BUT ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR ON THE KIND OF JUST GENERAL VIA OVERVIEW FRONT THAT I CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL COLOR ON? PERFECT.
SO I HAVE TRIED TO DISTILL THE LIST INTO ABOUT SEVEN CORE ITEMS, BUT I THINK THEY'RE GONNA REALLY HELP US MOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF FIGURING OUT WHAT THE OPTIMAL LAUNCH AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, WHAT THE OPTIMAL SERVICE MODEL IS.
THIS IS ADMITTEDLY NOT A COMPLETELY EXHAUSTIVE LIST.
THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE SMALL DETAILS THAT WE CAN WORK WITH TO FINE TUNE AS WE GO, BUT I WANTED TO KIND OF HONE IN ON A FEW KEY THEMES.
WE'LL GO THROUGH THEM ONE BY ONE.
WHAT I'VE STRUCTURED IS SORT OF A, A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE QUESTION THAT REALLY WARRANTS YOUR POLICY PERSPECTIVE.
I HAVE, FOR EACH TOPIC I'VE PUT TOGETHER SORT OF A COUPLE PROS AND CONS OR CONSIDERATIONS, IF YOU WILL, THAT GO WITH THEM.
TO BE VERY CLEAR, I DO NOT HAVE AN AGENDA TO PUSH YOU ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
SO LOOSE WAY OF SAYING THAT WHAT'S ON THE SLIDE IS A STARTING POINT FOR DISCUSSION.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO, YOU KNOW, THROW ME A CURVE BALL.
YOU CAN INTRODUCE OTHER IDEAS AS WE GO, BUT IT'S JUST A STARTING POINT.
UM, SO THE FIRST ONE IS WHO CAN RIDE? I THINK THIS IS
THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, DO YOU WANT THIS TO BE HOW DO RESIDENT SPECIFIC OR DO YOU WANT IT TO BE OPEN TO ANYONE WHO HAPPENS TO BE IN THE AREA? UM, THE WAY THAT WE LOOK AT THIS, I'LL JUST ACTUALLY GIVE YOU A QUICK LIKE PREVIEW WHERE WE'RE ULTIMATELY LANDING.
THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY A, A RIGHT OR WRONG HERE THAT, I MEAN THERE'S CERTAINLY NOT A RIGHT OR WRONG HERE.
AND ON THAT SAME THEME, THERE'S NOT A COST IMPLICATION FOR YOU IN TERMS OF WHETHER THE PARAMETER THAT WE CHOOSE TO APPLY, WHETHER IT'S RESTRICTED OR NOT, THAT DETAIL DOESN'T INCREASE YOUR COST.
SO THIS IS REALLY ABOUT POLICY.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS WE CAN CONSIDER ON THE RESIDENT FRONT.
THIS DOES GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE PREDICTABILITY INTO YOUR OVERALL RIDERSHIP.
YOU KNOW, YOUR COMMUNITY PROBABLY VEST.
UM, AND SO IF YOU'RE CONSTRAINING THE POOL SLIGHTLY, IT MAY GIVE YOU A BIT MORE CONTROL INTO WHAT YOU EXPECT VOLUMES TO BE.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SPIKED BY PEOPLE COMING IN AROUND EVENTS THAT ARE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO PREDICT.
UM, THE ONE TRADE OFF IS THAT THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF MONITORING ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
I WOULD SAY IT'S QUITE MINIMAL.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'LL DO ON OUR SIDE IS WE'LL ASK YOU WHAT PARAMETER YOU WANT US TO USE TO BASICALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE WRITER'S A RESIDENCE.
SO THAT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS ASKING 'EM FOR THEIR ADDRESS WHEN THEY SIGN UP IN THE APP.
SO IT'S NOT A HIGH BURDEN FOR YOU GUYS, BUT I WILL SAY INEVITABLY WHEN YOU HAVE ANY LEVEL OF RULE OR RESTRICTION IN A SERVICE, YOU MAY FIND THAT OKAY, SOMEHOW, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS AND THERE'S A DEGREE OF ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW THAT FROM TIME TO TIME BE UP TO YOU.
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BE A SLIGHT STRAIN ON YOUR RESOURCES PERIODICALLY IF YOU'RE CHECKING INTO THAT.THE SECOND OPTION IS JUST TO OPEN IT UP AND YOU SAY WITHIN THE SERVICE ZONE, ANYONE THAT'S HERE CAN USE IT.
SO THE APP PEOPLE WHEN YOU DOWNLOAD IT, THERE WOULD BE NO RULE THAT WOULD VET YOU AS A LOCAL HOW TO RESIDENT.
UM, I THINK THE BENEFIT TO THIS IS THAT FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE, POTENTIALLY, AND AGAIN, I DON'T MEAN TO OVERSTEP, YOU OBVIOUSLY KNOW THE COMMUNITY BETTER, YOU KNOW THE TYPES OF ECONOMIC DRIVERS YOU SEE HERE, BUT IF HYPOTHETICALLY YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN DAYS OF WEEK WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN FOR DINING, IT'S A POSSIBLE USE CASE WHERE AGAIN, OPENING IT UP A LITTLE BIT COULD HAVE SOME BENEFIT ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
THE FLIP SIDE IS THAT IN AN EXTREME SCENARIO, AND THIS IS PROBABLY MORE IF YOU WERE A HYPER BUSY CITY, YOU COULD HAVE A SCENARIO WHERE YOU'RE FLOODED WITH PEOPLE TRANSPARENTLY.
I DON'T PERCEIVE THAT TO BE A HIGH RISK JUST GIVEN THE BACKDROP THAT I'VE RESEARCHED HERE.
UM, BUT I'M GONNA PAUSE THERE.
I KNOW I'M KIND OF TALKING THROUGH A LOT OF BULLETS HERE.
ULTIMATELY, LIKE I SAID, LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INKLING WHICH WAY YOU'RE LEANING.
SO FAIR STRUCTURE, UM, COUPLE WAYS YOU CAN APPROACH THIS.
IN THE EXTREME, YOU COULD SUBSIDIZE THE FULL COST OF EVERY SINGLE TRIP.
SO WHEN WE BROKER THAT RIDE TO A THIRD PARTY PLATFORM, THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE RIDE, YOU COULD IN THEORY CHOOSE TO COVER THE ENTIRE COST FOR YOUR COMMUNITY.
THE MORE COMMON MODEL IS THAT YOU CREATE A RULE THAT WOULD BASICALLY HAVE A NOMINAL BASE FARE THAT THE RIDER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, THEN YOU COMMIT TO A MAXIMUM SUBSIDY THAT YOU'D BE WILLING TO PROVIDE.
SO THE AMOUNTS THAT I'VE INCLUDED HERE, THE TWO 50 BASE, THE $10 SUBSIDY, THESE ARE PURELY ILLUSTRATIVE.
UM, WHAT I'M MORE FOCUSED ON IS JUST GETTING A SENSE FROM ALL OF YOU WHAT YOU FEEL WOULD MAKE THE MOST SENSE WITH KIND OF YOUR GOALS FOR HOW YOU WANT TO MANAGE THIS.
AND IF IT'S HELPFUL, I'LL JUST ADD AS A REFERENCE.
AND I THINK YOU ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THE WAY KYLE'S 3 1 4 PROGRAM OPERATES, BUT IT CERTAINLY, I KNOW WE'RE AWARE.
OKAY, SO FROM KYLE, BUT UH, THERE'S STAFF THAT ARE FROM KYLE, BUT OKAY, UNDERSTOOD.
BASICALLY KYLE HAS AN ON AN ON-DEMAND RIDE SHARING PROGRAM.
IT'S RUN THROUGH AN UBER PARTNERSHIP.
THE WAY THAT THE CITY ADMINISTERS IT, EACH RIDER HAS UP TO $10 THAT THEY CAN USE PER RIDE.
THE RIDER'S RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING A BASE FEE OF $3 AND 14 CENTS.
THEY BOOK THE RIDE AND THEY HAVE A $10 CREDIT THAT THE CITY SUBSIDIZES FOR THAT TRIP.
SO CAL DOES DOES IT WITH VIA, NO, THIS IS WITH UBER.
UM, SO WE COULD MIRROR THAT STRUCTURE AND HAVE A SUBSIDY CAP THAT WE WOULD DETERMINE $10 OR WHATEVER THE AMOUNT IS THAT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH.
I THINK THE BENEFIT THERE IS THAT AS OPPOSED TO FULLY SUBSIDIZING EVERY TRIP, YOU KNOW, THAT GIVES YOU A GET VISIBILITY INTO YOUR BUDGET.
YOU AVOID THE SCENARIO WHERE SOMEONE BOOKS A TRIP THAT ULTIMATELY ENDS UP COSTING $40 AND YOU'VE COVERED THE FULL AMOUNT FOR THAT.
SO I THINK THIS ONE IS, OF ALL THE DECISIONS, I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY A MORE CLEAR PATH THAT MAKES SENSE FROM A FISCAL MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, BUT I DON'T WANNA BE OVERLY PRESUMPTUOUS.
SO I DID WANNA JUST HAVE IT AS A REFERENCE POINT TO GET YOUR INITIAL THOUGHTS.
UH, SO I, I MEAN I PERSONALLY, IF, IF WE MAKE A DECISION TODAY, WOULD, I WOULD ALWAYS OPT FOR OPTION NUMBER ONE.
'CAUSE UM, I THINK THAT WHEN PEOPLE DO THINGS, YOU KNOW, THEY PAY FOR IT, RIGHT? IT, IT GETS TRASHED AND HOW YEAH, THEY HAVE NOTHING INVESTED SO THEY DON'T REALLY CARE.
AND SO, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE ARE THE RIGHT NUMBERS OR NOT, BUT I ABSOLUTELY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, SOME NOT NOTHING CRAZY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE WITHIN TOWN AND SO JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT'S GONNA TAKE TO, YOU KNOW, GET THEM LINE AND GET WITH WHERE THEY PICK UP.
YOU'RE SAYING WHEN YOU HAVE A FULLY DE DEDICATED SERVICE, SO IT WOULD BE, YOU WOULD BUILD A HUB HERE AND PARK YOUR VEHICLE SO THAT IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE DURING PREDETERMINED HOURS FOR, OR A DETERMINED PRICE THAT WE WOULD SET AND THEN THEY WOULD DISPATCH TO SPECIFIC LOCATIONS THAT WE WOULD ALSO SAY THIS IS WHERE THIS PRICE SHARE PROGRAM'S ABLE TO GET YOU TO LIKE TO THE HEB FOR EXAMPLE.
SO IT WOULD HAVE A ZONE AND WE WOULD EXACTLY AS YOU'RE DESCRIBING, YOU KNOW, IF THE HEB IS IN THAT ZONE, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEND THE VEHICLE THERE.
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NOT WE ACTUALLY ARE PROVIDING THE VEHICLES AND HAVE A FACILITY HERE, THAT'S ANOTHER CONSIDERATION FOR YOU.SO THE WAY THAT KYLE DOES IT, JUST GOING BACK TO THIS KIND OF SEMI REGIONAL EXAMPLE, THEY'RE RELYING ON UBER.
SO THE VEHICLES ARE NOT EXCLUSIVE TO KYLE.
UM, IN YOUR CASE, IN OUR THE THE RFP RESPONSE THAT WE PROVIDED, WE ACTUALLY OUT LOAN OUTLINED TWO APPROACHES.
IN ONE SCENARIO, WE CAN BRING YOU A DEDICATED FLEET WHERE WE CONTROL EVERYTHING ON OUR OWN INTERNAL SYSTEM.
SO IT'S OUR VEHICLES, OUR DRIVERS, ET CETERA.
THE ALTERNATIVE MODEL IS THAT WE RELY ON THIRD PARTIES, LOCAL TAXIS, UBERS AND LYFTS, AND WE SEND THE RIDES TO THOSE PROVIDERS.
UM, THERE'S TRADE-OFFS TO EACH MODEL, YOU KNOW, THE DEDICATED FLEET.
IT GIVES YOU A MUCH MORE ELEVATED FEEL TO THE SERVICE BECAUSE AGAIN, THE VEHICLES ARE GONNA HAVE KYLE'S BRANDING, IT'S GONNA INCREASE SOME VISIBILITY INTO THIS COMMUNITY.
YOU'RE OFFERING THE FLIP SIDE THOUGH IS THERE'S MORE OF AN UPFRONT COST ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND THERE'S AN ONGOING COST THAT IS HIGHER RELATIVE TO IF YOU WERE TO JUST COMPARE THIS ON AN ULTRA LOW VOLUME BASIS AND SAY, WELL I MIGHT ONLY SERVE ONE RIDE TODAY WITHOUT LOW THRESHOLD COST WISE, IT'S GOING TO LIKELY BE MORE ECONOMICAL TO JUST BROKER THAT RIDE TO AN UBER OR A LYFT WITHOUT OVERCOMPLICATING.
THE KEY THEME IS THE ZONE ITSELF.
WHETHER OR NOT WE USE A DEDICATED FLEET OR WE RELY ON UBER, LYFT, A TAXI OR ANY THIRD PARTY, THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE RIDER WILL STILL BE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE USING IT FOR LOCAL MOBILITY.
WE'RE NOT ALL, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE BASED ON WHERE YOU WANT THEM TO BE ALLOWED TO GO.
SO THE NEXT SCENARIO YOU WOULD JUST, Y'ALL ARE JUST OFF BS OFFERING THE SOFTWARE MATCHING EXACTLY LIKE, LIKE THE HUB INSTEAD OF SOMEBODY CALLING FOR AN UBER.
ON THEIR OWN WOULD BE EXACTLY Y'ALL AND THE CITY WOULD OFFSET A COST OF IT.
SO THEY WOULD PULL OUT THE VIA RIDER APP THAT WE CREATE FOR HU IT WILL BE A VIA APP, BUT IT WILL HAVE YOUR BRANDING AND THEN THE INDIVIDUAL JUST SAYS, I'D LIKE TO GO TO THE HEB USING YOUR EXAMPLE.
IT TELLS THEM GREAT NEWS, YOUR VEHICLE'S COMING IN SIX MINUTES.
THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THAT VEHICLE'S FROM VIA OR A THIRD PARTY, THAT'S AGAIN A POLICY DECISION.
BUT THE EXPERIENCE OR THE END, THE END RESULT OF HAVING LOCAL MOBILITY, IT'S GOING TO EXIST REGARDLESS.
AND THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF THE, LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH AND SO WE'LL TALK FURTHER ABOUT THAT.
BUT IN ORDER TO UM, I SUPPOSE ACCOMPANY OR ACCOMMODATE THE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY VEHICLES, THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A A LITTLE BIT OF A HYBRID.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE WATER TOGETHER FULLY.
SO THE REASON WE'RE ENTERTAINING THIS IS BECAUSE WE WANNA BE ABLE TO OFFSET THE COST FOR RESIDENTS.
I MEAN, IS THAT WHY WE'RE TALKING? WELL IS THAT WHY ALL OF THIS, I MEAN I WASN'T HERE WHEN ALL OF THIS, WHEN WE SENT A REQUEST, BUT IS THAT WHY WE'RE REQUESTING THIS BECAUSE WE WANNA HELP PAY FOR, OR WE WANNA MAKE PUBLIC TRANSIT A LITTLE BIT MORE AFFORDABLE OUTTA RESIDENTS? IS THAT WHERE ALL THIS STARTED? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO? I THINK IT STARTED JUST FROM LOOKING AT OPTIONS SUPPORT PUBLIC TRANSIT.
NOT NECESSARILY WE NEEDED ALL THIS DATA AND INFORMATION TO FIND OUT HOW IT WAS GONNA BE FUNDED, WHO WAS GONNA FUND IT, HOW IT'S GONNA BE SET UP.
BUT THIS IS JUST MORE OF A DISCUSSION INITIATED ON WE DON'T HAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN'T DO CARTS.
I THINK, AND I FORGOT, WELL I FORGOT WHAT THE WEST, WHAT'S THE WEST SIDE ONE CALL THE LINE THAT GOES DOWN TO, YEAH.
AND SO, UH, SOME OF US HAD HEARD SOME PRETTY BIG THINGS AT CAP METRO.
SO WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE OTHER OPTIONS FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT? AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT GOT US.
YEAH, I MEAN I THINK SOME OF THESE THINGS IS, IS AS FAR SAID THAT KINDA GETTING AHEAD OF THE GAME.
I'D LIKE TO HEAR THE WHOLE PRESENTATION.
'CAUSE SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS THAT ARE ASKED ARE ACTUALLY TWO OF THE MODULES THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT HERE IN SHORTLY.
WE CAN ASK PER QUE PER MODULE, BUT THINK GETTING AHEAD OF THE CHANGE IS KIND OF BEING INEFFICIENT FOR THIS TIME.
I'M HAPPY TO TALK THROUGH MODEL.
I MEAN, IF YOU GUYS, AGAIN, I WANT THIS TO BE USEFUL FOR YOU.
IF YOU'RE CURIOUS ABOUT AND UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DEDICATED SOLUTION AND KIND OF SOME EXAMPLES VERSUS NON-DEDICATED.
I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO GO INTO THAT.
SO I, I'LL USE NEW BRAUNFELS AS AN EXAMPLE 'CAUSE THIS IS A SERVICE THAT I JUST LAUNCHED LAST YEAR.
THE BACKSTORY THERE, THERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY THAN YOU, BUT SIMILAR TO A LITTLE BIT OF THE CAP METRO CARTS ACCESS QUESTION NEW BRAUNFELS, YOU KNOW, BEING OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO, THEY HAD ACCESS TO A SOMEWHAT LIMITED DEGREE OF REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSIT, MEANING INDIVIDUALS IN NEW BRAUNFELS COULD CALL IN IN ADVANCE AND UH, KIND OF REGIONAL TRANSIT VEHICLE FROM SAN ANTONIO AGENCY WOULD COME OUT AND GET THEM AND TAKE THEM ON THEIR TRIP.
HOWEVER, NEW BRAUNFELS BEING FAIRLY FAST GROWING, THEY REACHED A POINT WHERE THEY BASICALLY SAID, LET'S EXPLORE A MORE COMMITTED MODEL FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THEY WORKED WITH US TO DO A
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LOT OF ANALYSIS ON JUST WHAT DIFFERENT OPTIONS EXISTED, WHAT TYPES OF TRANSIT EXISTED, WHETHER IT BE A FIXED ROUTE SOLUTION, WHERE IT'S A BUS THAT GOES AT SET TIMES AND SET LOCATIONS VERSUS AN ON-DEMAND SOLUTION.IN A NUTSHELL, WHERE THEY LANDED IS THEY DECIDED LET'S LAUNCH A CITYWIDE SERVICE, UM, USING VIAS DEDICATED FLEET.
AND SO WHAT WE PROVIDE THERE IS AN ON-DEMAND SOLUTION.
UM, INDIVIDUALS JUST AS WE'VE DESCRIBED, THEY PULL OUT THEIR SMARTPHONE WHEN THEY WANT TO BOOK A RIDE, THEY SAY WHERE THEY'RE GOING, THE ALGORITHM OF THE APP, IT AUTOMATICALLY DETERMINES WHAT'S THE OPTIMAL VEHICLE FOR YOU.
AND IT COMES AND PICKS 'EM UP RIGHT WHERE THEY'RE REQUESTING IT.
SO AGAIN, DIFFERENT THAN FIXED ROUTE, YOU'RE NOT BEING TOLD GO WAIT FOR THE BUS, GO TO THIS STOP.
IT'S COMING WHERE YOU WANT TO BE PICKED UP FROM AND TAKING YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, PROVIDED IT'S IN THE ZONE.
UM, WHAT WE ARE ALSO DOING THERE IS, YOU KNOW, OFFERING BEYOND THE TECHNOLOGY, ALL OF THE OPERATIONAL AND DAY-TO-DAY MANAGEMENT COMPONENTS.
SO OUR CUSTOM BRANDED FLEET, OUR DRIVERS, UM, ALL OF THE A DA ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, THAT'S AGAIN, A BIG CONSIDERATION WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT DIFFERENT MODELS.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE RELYING ON A THIRD PARTY LIKE UBER OR LYFT, THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE A RIDE TO A WHEELCHAIR USER FOR INSTANCE, IT'S A CONSIDERATION.
SO IN NEW BRAUNFELS CASE, BECAUSE WE'RE PROVIDING THE FLEET, WE HAVE A RETROFITTED FULLY, YOU KNOW, REAR ENTRY, WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE COMPONENT TO OUR FLEET.
OUR DRIVERS ARE A DA SENSITIVITY TRAINED.
SO THE GOAL REALLY IS MAKE SURE NO RIDER'S LEFT BEHIND.
WHETHER YOU ARE A, A MEMBER, AN AMBULATORY RIDER WITH NO, UH, MOBILITY IMPAIRMENT, OR SOMEONE WHO HAS A WALKER, A WHEELCHAIR, A CANE, OR JUST NEEDS EXTRA ASSISTANCE, WE CAN REALLY PROVIDE A KIND OF A HEIGHTENED LEVEL OF QUALITY RELATIVE TO AN OUTSOURCED MODEL.
UM, WHAT I WOULD SAY ABOUT NEW BRAUNFELS, YEAH, IT'S A NEW SERVICE.
WE JUST HIT THE SIX MONTH MARK, UH, LAST MONTH.
WE LAUNCHED IN NOVEMBER, END OF NOVEMBER.
THAT HAS BEEN AN EXTREMELY WELL ADOPTED PROGRAM.
AND IT'S A, IT'S AN INTERESTING CASE BECAUSE THE REGIONAL SOLUTION THAT HAD BEEN IN PLACE BEFORE THE FAIRLY LIMITED MODEL, YOU KNOW, IT CUT OFF RIGHT BEFORE WE LAUNCHED OUR PROGRAM.
SO WE HAD TO COME IN COLD AND BASICALLY ABSORB AND EDUCATE EVERYONE ON, HEY, THERE'S A NEW SYSTEM.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT THAT WENT INTO IT, BUT THE ADOPTION HAS BEEN VERY STRONG.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE SEEING AS OF MAY ROUGHLY 6,000 RIDES A MONTH.
UH, SO ON A SIX MONTH BASIS ABOUT 30,000 RIDES SERVED, WHICH WHEN WE SAT DOWN AT THE TABLE WITH NEW BRAUNFELS LAST YEAR, THEIR GOAL WAS, YOU KNOW, LET'S COME UP WITH A DEDICATED SOLUTION FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'D LOVE IT IF THIS WOULD SERVE ABOUT 10,000 RIDES IN THE FIRST YEAR.
WE MANAGED TO MEET THAT IN TWO MONTHS JUST BECAUSE THE DEMAND AND THE, THE APPETITE AMONGST THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN REALLY STRONG.
UM, I'M THROWING A LOT AT YOU, SO LET ME PAUSE AND QUESTIONS ON DETAILS.
OTHER PIECES THAT WENT INTO THAT SERVICE.
SO BASICALLY THE VA IS OFFERING A PRIVATE UBER SERVICE TO THE, TO THE BON ROLLS.
I MEAN IT'S BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S ON DEMAND, RIGHT? BUT IT'S ONLY YOUR VEHICLES AND IT'S ONLY WITHIN BOUGHT ROLLS.
I WOULD SAY CONCEPTUALLY, ABSOLUTELY.
THE PRIVATE TERMINOLOGY IN THE TRANSIT WORLD, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T USE IT JUST BECAUSE FROM THE RIDER ONLY PAYS A FEW DOLLARS.
IT'S A, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T CHARGE THE RIDER AN AMOUNT TO MAKE MONEY.
THAT'S ACTUALLY MONEY THAT JUST GOES STRAIGHT BACK TO THE CITY, RIGHT? UM, AND THEN THE ONE OTHER NUANCE IS THAT BECAUSE IT'S DEDICATED PUBLIC TRANSIT, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR TECHNOLOGY TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY FOR THE CITY WHEN SOMEONE REQUESTS THE RIDE, SO LET'S SAY I REQUEST MY RIDE AND I'M GOING TO MAIN STREET, THE TECHNOLOGY IS FIGURING OUT ARE THERE OTHER PEOPLE GOING IN A SIMILAR DIRECTION? AND IF IT WERE TO FIND OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, KATE IS A FEW BLOCKS AWAY, SHE'S MAYBE NOT GOING TO MY EXACT DESTINATION, BUT SOMEWHERE IN THAT VICINITY, THE SOFTWARE WILL AUTOMATICALLY SAY, GREAT.
PULL THOSE RIDERS TOGETHER AND IT WILL CREATE THE ROUTE, IT WILL TELL THE DRIVER, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE 32ND DETOUR SO THAT BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SERVING THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PEOPLE POSSIBLE WITH THE LEAST, UM, AMOUNT OF OPERATIONAL ASSETS.
BASICALLY LEVERAGE YOUR VEHICLE FLEET TO MAXIMIZE OVERALL USAGE.
WHAT'S THE HOURS OF OPERATION AND, AND UH, NEW GROUND FALLS? I BELIEVE IT'S 7:00 AM TO AROUND 8:00 PM IT'S A FAIRLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, WE SHUT OFF IN THE LATE EVENINGS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, AGAIN, IS TOTALLY CONFIGURABLE.
I HAVE SOME SERVICES THAT WANNA RUN VERY LATE INTO THE EVENING.
UH, WE CAN HAVE CUSTOM RULES LIKE SATURDAY, SUNDAY BEING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ROUTINE.
BUT THEIR, THEIR CORE RIDERSHIP IS KIND OF IN THOSE, I WOULD SAY STANDARD DAYTIME HOURS.
[00:25:01]
WE'RE GOOD TO GO ZOOM.BY ALL MEANS, IF YOU GUYS HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS, I WOULD WANT ME TO LIKE SIDESTEP TO A DIFFERENT TOPIC.
UM, THE NEXT TOPIC THAT I PUT ON JUST THIS DISCUSSION AGENDA IS INCENTIVIZING KIND OF STIMULATING LOCAL BUSINESS ACTIVITY.
UM, I THINK THIS IS AN INTERESTING ONE, AND AGAIN, I DON'T MEAN TO GET AHEAD WHILE WE'RE STILL FIGURING OUT THE ACT EXACT PARAMETERS OF THE PROGRAM, BUT THE, THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE ON OUR SIDE IS, NUMBER ONE, WOULD YOU LIKE THERE TO BE SOME SORT OF PROMOTIONAL CONSIDERATION FOR TRIPS THAT GO TO BUSINESSES OR RESTAURANTS THAT YOU DEEM, YOU KNOW, USEFUL ECONOMIC DRIVERS? IF SO, AND AGAIN, BY NO MEANS DO YOU HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT IF SO, THERE'S A COUPLE WAYS WE CAN DO THAT.
WE CAN NUMBER ONE, JUST AUTOMATICALLY PROGRAM IT INTO OUR SOFTWARE AND SAY, THOMAS' DINER IS A RESTAURANT QUALIFIES AS A RESULT.
ANYTIME SOMEONE BOOKS A RIDE THERE, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE, I'M MAKING THESE NUMBERS UP, BUT A 50% REDUCED FARE BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO THERE.
SO BASICALLY FULLY AUTOMATED FROM THE RIDER'S STANDPOINT, WE'RE NOT REALLY SEEING ANYTHING OTHER THAN GREAT.
UM, THE OTHER OPTION IS A SLIGHTLY MORE MANUAL APPROACH WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE PROMO CODES.
SO GUYS WOULD SAY, HERE'S THE LIST OF PLACES WE'D LIKE YOU TO PRIORITIZE.
PROMO CODE IS GENERATED FOR EACH ONE.
AND THEN IT'S KIND OF UP TO THE BUSINESS TO MANAGE THAT INTERACTION WITH THE CUSTOMER.
IT GIVES A LITTLE BIT OF A, YOU KNOW, HUMAN TOUCHPOINT BETWEEN THE BUSINESS AND THE PATRON.
HOWEVER, THERE'S, IT IS A SLIGHTLY MORE BURDENSOME PROCESS.
QUESTION, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OF A COMBO WHERE WE HAVE, OVERALL THERE'S AN, AN AUTOMATED, BUT LET'S SAY WE HAVE A NEW, YOU KNOW, GRAND OPENING FOR A PARTICULAR THING.
WE WANNA HAVE A PROMO CODE FOR THAT.
BUT WE STILL STAND BY WITH THE AUTO, YOU KNOW, THE NORMALIST IS AUTOMATED THAT WE CAN DO OCCASIONAL PROMOS.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WE GONNA ABSOLUTELY DO A HYBRID.
UM, AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO COMMONLY EVEN KIND OF ZOOMING OUT FOR A SECOND.
EVEN IF IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT PROMOTING A BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR SOFTWARE, WE CAN EASILY INSTITUTE A PROMOTIONAL RATE AROUND AN EVENT.
WE WOULD JUST ASK YOU GUYS, TELL US HOW YOU'D LIKE IT STRUCTURED.
WE'LL MAKE IT HAPPEN IN THE SOFTWARE.
UH, GO FROM THERE IN
WE HAVE FAIR BASED LOGIC, ZONE BASED LOGIC.
UH, LET WAS SAY IN NOT KNOWING THE BUDGET.
'CAUSE USUALLY YOU GET SOLD EVERYTHING AND THEN TO THE VERY END, EVERYBODY'S LIKE THE CAR, YOU'VE TEST DRIVEN, EVERYBODY LIKES IT, THEY'RE ALL EXCITED AND ALL OF A SUDDEN LIKE, DAMN, YOU SEE THE PRICE YOU AFFORD.
SO NOT KNOWING THAT I'M PERSONALLY NOT INTERESTED IN SELECT BUSINESSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU'RE PICKING AND CHOOSING WINNERS.
I DON'T NECESSARILY MIND THE DISTRICTS, BUT I GOTTA, FOR ME, I GOTTA UNDERSTAND WHAT EXACTLY IS THAT COST INVOLVED.
BECAUSE IF YOU SAY LIKE, HEY, WE'RE GONNA LET YOU GO FREE TO THE CO-OP, WELL THEN EVERY TIME I WANNA GO TO THE CO-OP, I'LL JUST USE THE SERVICE.
AND SO IF THE IDEA IS A CITY IS NOT GONNA MAKE MONEY, IT'S GONNA BE A LOST LEADER ALL THE TIME GOING TO THE CO-OP, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF I SPEND $500 ON THE LIQUOR TAB AND THE CITY GETS 1.5% OF THAT AND THE RIDE COSTS $20 TO GET THERE, WELL THEN EVERY TIME I GO, THE CITY ACTUALLY LOSES MONEY.
AND SO THE IDEA FOR ME ON THIS WHOLE THING WHEN I FIRST BROUGHT THIS UP IS NOT TO HELP THE GENERAL MASSES, BUT TO HELP THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES.
THEY, THEY HAVE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, NOT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT, HEY, YOU SEEM TO BE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE CAPABLE MEANS GET YOUR OWN UBER, UBER, GET YOU OWN LYFT.
UM, STARTING OFF NOW, MAYBE SURE, MAYBE THIS TURNED OUT NOT TO BE THAT EXPENSIVE, BUT I REMEMBER HEARING NUMBERS LIKE STARTING OFF COULD BE LIKE SIX, $700,000 A YEAR.
AND I'M LIKE, THAT'S A BIG, THAT'S A BIG NUMBER FOR IT TO GET SENIORS TO DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS AND PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY ISSUES.
BUT AGAIN, NOT KNOWING THE END, I'M SURE AT THE END THERE'LL BE A LITTLE QUICK SIDE
UM, NO, I THINK IT'S A TOTALLY VALID POINT.
AND BY ALL MEANS, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU THE SORT OF SYSTEM OF USE CONCEPT OF YES, SOMEONE WHO FINDS A WAY TO GO TO THE LIQUOR STORE AND YOU'RE LOSING 20 BUCKS EVERY RIDE.
THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE GOAL FOR ANY OF THESE POLICY DECISIONS.
AND ALSO JUST TO TOUCH ON PRICE, TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT ON THAT, WE ARE COMPLETELY FLEXIBLE IN TERMS OF HOW WE MOLD THIS.
SO AGAIN, IF YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE, IF THE OBJECTIVE IS, YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONE IS LOWEST COST POSSIBLE, WE RELY ON A THIRD PARTY FLEET, YOUR INSTALLATION FEE FOR THAT, YOUR UPFRONT FEE TO BASICALLY DO ALL OF THESE THINGS WITH THE TECHNOLOGY, IT'S $10,000 AND
[00:30:01]
THEN WE CHARGE YOU A 50 CENT FEE EVERY TIME WE ACTUALLY CREATE THAT RIDE BROKERAGE.EVERY TIME OUR ALGORITHM WORKS TO ASSIGN THE RIDE.
IF YOU WANT A FULLY DEDICATED FLEET, OF COURSE THERE'S A HIGHER COST BECAUSE WE ARE BRINGING VEHICLES AND DRIVERS.
SO THE UPFRONT COST'S NOT GONNA BE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS.
BUT YOU'RE LOOKING, YOU KNOW, AS AN EXAMPLE, IF YOU WANTED ONE DEDICATED VEHICLE, IT'S ABOUT 45,000 UP FRONT.
AND THEN FROM THERE YOU'RE BASICALLY JUST PAYING FOR THE HOURLY USAGE OF THE VEHICLE.
SO THAT'S AGAIN, A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FIXED ROUTE TRANSIT WHERE YOU BASICALLY COMMIT TO RUNNING THAT VEHICLE NO MATTER WHAT.
IT'S LIKE, I'M GONNA SHOW UP AT THE STOP, WHETHER IT'S SOMEONE'S THERE OR NOT.
WITH ON DEMAND, WE'RE ONLY GONNA RUN THE VEHICLE WHEN DEMAND WARRANTS IT.
SO THE HOURLY RATE, AGAIN, THESE ARE SUBJECT TO KIND OF THE ACTUAL SCALE YOU GUYS CHOOSE, BUT JUST USING LIKE A VERY MINIMAL SERVICE WITH ONE VEHICLE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE KIND OF MID SEVENTIES PER HOUR TO RUN IT.
AND THEN THE GOAL IS, YOU KNOW, SERVE AS MANY TRIPS AS POSSIBLE EVERY HOUR THAT THE VEHICLE IS IN SERVICE.
SO, SO THOSE ARE NUMBERS THAT GETS ME TO WHERE INITIALLY AGAIN, HAVE TO SEE THE MAP, WHAT THE PROJECTED USE IS.
I DON'T SEE HAVING A VIA DEDICATED, I DON'T CARE IF THE CAR HAS A HUD A LOGO ON IT.
UM, FOR ME IT'S HOW QUICKLY CAN A PERSON GET A RIDE? AND FOR ME IT IS THE LOWEST COST BECAUSE SERVICE WE DON'T OFFER NOW AND THE MONEY WE SPEND ON THIS IS MONEY WE CAN'T SPEND SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO IF IT'S A DEDICATED FLEET, IT'S $70 AN HOUR.
THE FIRST TIME SOMEONE WAITS MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES TO GET A RIDE, THEN A COMPLAINT IS WE NEED, WE SHOULD HAVE HAD THREE CARS SAID, OKAY, WE'LL DO THREE CARS AND THEN WHAT'LL HAPPEN THEN TWO WEEKS LATER THERE'S MORE USAGE MORE.
AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, WE, WE, WE SPEND A MILLION SOMETHING DOLLARS A YEAR AND FOR A CERTAIN SECTION OF THE DAY, MY GUESS IS NON-PEAK, 70 BUCKS AN HOUR, EVERYBODY'S SITTING AROUND WAITING FOR A RIDE.
AND THEN WHEN IT HITS FIVE O'CLOCK STILL HAVE THAT PEAK RUSH.
BUT IF YOU CAN'T GET 'EM ALL SERVED AT A TIME, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW VERY MANY PEOPLE, I THINK UBER HAD A SERVICE ONCE THAT WOULD TRY TO ROUTE AROUND AND PICK UP THREE DIFFERENT STOPS AND SAVE MONEY.
AND I DON'T THINK IT WENT VERY FAR.
YEAH, BECAUSE LIKE WHEN I'M OUT WITH MY WIFE, SHE DOESN'T WANT NO OFFENSE TO THIS GUY, BUT WE DON'T WANNA SHOP ON OUR WAY TO DATE NIGHT AND PICK HIM UP.
AND THEN WE'RE LIKE, HEY, WHY ARE, WHY ARE WE LATE TO OUR MEETING? 'CAUSE WE PICKED UP SOME GUY STRANGER OFF THE ROAD, SHE'S GONNA GO RIGHT YOU, IF YOU LOVE ME, YOU'RE GONNA PICK UBER OR LYFT OR YOU'RE GONNA DRIVE ME YOURSELF.
WELL I, WE'RE A UNIQUE FAMILY.
NO, I, I GET AND I, I TOTALLY HEAR THAT.
I THINK IT'S, AGAIN, FROM EVERYTHING YOU'RE DESCRIBING, LIKE I WOULD NEVER WANT TO PIGEONHOLE YOU GUYS IN NO, NO.
'CAUSE CERTAINLY AT LOW VOLUMES AND REALLY TO TEST THE SERVICE.
I APPRECIATE THIS IS A NEW CONCEPT, A THIRD PARTY FLEET.
IT'S GOING TO GIVE YOU, YOU KNOW, YOUR LOWEST EXPENDITURE TO KIND OF IMPLEMENT AND SEE HOW THIS GOES.
BUT A THIRD PARTY FLEET, UM, IF I, IF YOU SAY THIRD PARTY TALKING ABOUT UBER, LYFT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A THIRD PARTY SOLUTION, DOES THAT MEAN THAT NOW THERE ARE GOING TO BE UBERS AND LYFTS OR WHATEVER IN HU OR WHEN THE REQUEST COMES IN, THEY STILL TO COME FROM AUSTIN TO HU FOR THAT RIDE? YEAH, THEY'RE IN HU THEY'RE IN HU THEY'RE IN HUDDLE.
I USE 'EM, I USE 'EM ALL THE TIME.
YOU JUST GET ON YOUR APP AND YEAH, SAME GUY EVERY TIME.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHY IT'S A CHEAPER SERVICE BECAUSE WITH THIS, YOU'RE GONNA GET THOMAS EVERY DAY FROM SEVEN TO FIVE AND DEDICATED YOU UP.
BUT YOU GO TO UBER, IT'S, ALL OF US ARE UBER DRIVERS AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
AND SO AT DIFFERENT TIMES THERE'S DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF DRIVERS.
WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING TOO IS WHENEVER, AND, AND, AND WE SAW THIS IN KYLE WHEN WE STARTED THE UBER PROCESS MM-HMM.
IS THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF DEDICATED DRIVERS AND, AND KYLE.
BUT THEN AS THE DEMAND, IT IS JUST A MARKET THING.
AS THE DEMAND KICKED UP AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WERE WANTING TO TAKE RIDES, WELL WHAT HAPPENED? MORE AND MORE DRIVERS STARTED SERVING THE AREA BECAUSE THERE WAS OPPORTUNITY.
SO IT MAY TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME ON THE FRONT END, BUT EVEN RIGHT NOW, IF I GOT ON MY PHONE ON UBER AND, AND BOOKED A RIDE TO PICK ME UP HERE, I WOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT MORE THAN ABOUT FIVE TO EIGHT MINUTES TO TELL YOU IF WE'RE, ARE YOU DOING IT RIGHT NOW? IF WE'RE RELYING ON A THIRD PARTY? UM, MY, MY MY ONLY CON, MY ONLY INTEREST IN THIS HELPING PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE THAT HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES, RIGHT? MM-HMM
THERE'S A LARGE GROUP OF MY SENIOR STUDENTS THAT ARE SAYING RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET TRANSIT THEMSELVES.
LIKE THEY'RE WORKING AND TALKING WITH THE AMERICAN LEGION AND UTILIZING THEIR BAND AND TALKING HOW THEY CAN DO IT THEMSELVES, UM, FOR FREE.
RIGHT? UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR THAT'S GONNA GO.
THAT'S A CITIZEN RUN INITIATIVE.
UM, BUT IT JUST SHOWS THAT THE NEED AND DEMAND IS THERE, BUT THEY'RE ONLY SPECIFICALLY INTERESTED IN HELPING SENIORS GET TO LIKE THEIR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, GET TO THEIR GROCERY SHOP KIND AND DONE.
SO IF WE'RE DOING A THIRD PARTY AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VEHICLES THAT ARE A DA COMPLIANT, FOR EXAMPLE,
[00:35:01]
WHAT IS, DOES THAT MEAN THEN WE HAVE TO HIRE OR WE WOULD INVITE THEM IN? WELL, WE JUST PUT IT OUT THERE AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE LOOKING FOR UBER DRIVERS THAT HAVE A DA COMPLIANT BAND.BECAUSE THE BIG DEMAND THAT FIRST IS GOING TO BE FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES.
I MEAN, WILL WE HAVE TO FIND THAT OUT FIRST TO MAKE SURE THIS IS EVEN GONNA BE VIABLE OR USABLE? YEAH.
I GOT TWO MINUTES, THREE MINUTES, SIX MINUTES.
NOW I WOULD SAY, UM, THE, THE, UNLESS YOU CAN FIND A THIRD PARTY PROVIDER FOR A DA, THAT ENDS UP BEING LIKE THE MOST EXPENSIVE COMPONENT OF THIS MM-HMM
BECAUSE IF YOU, IF YOU CAN'T, AND I'M NOT SAYING VIA CAN'T.
I'M SAYING IF YOU CAN'T, THEN YOU DO HAVE TO BUY A DEDICATED A DA VEHICLE.
YOU DO HAVE TO HAVE A DEDICATED DRIVER.
AND THEN BASICALLY IF YOU'RE ONLY MAKING THAT SERVICE AVAILABLE TO THE FOLKS WHO NEED THAT TYPE OF TRANSPORT, THEN IT MAY SIT THERE AND NOT GET USED, YOU KNOW, FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME AT $30 AN HOUR.
UH, WELL THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE IF 800, YEAH.
IF, IF YOU WERE ONLY GOING TO PROVIDE A DA ACCESS, THEN WE PROBABLY WOULD USE THEM TO SET UP THE APP AND THEN WE WOULD PROBABLY BUY A VEHICLE.
HAVE A DEDICATED DRIVER, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A STAFF PERSON THAT CAN DO OTHER STUFF OR WHATEVER ELSE.
AND THEN THEY CAN GO JUMP IN THE VEHICLE WHENEVER AN ORDER COMES IN AND GO PICK PEOPLE UP.
AND THEN THAT WOULD BE OUR EMPLOYEE.
SO DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXCLUSIVE.
NO, THAT DOESN'T BE, AREN'T YOU GUYS CONTRACTED BY OTHER PROVIDERS THAT WHEN THERE'S A HANDICAP OR MOBILITY ISSUE NEEDED, THAT INSTEAD OF THEM DISPATCHING AN UBER OR LYFT, THEY ACTUALLY JUST DIS THEY CAN WORK WITH YOU BECAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER, THERE'S ANOTHER GROUP.
I GUESS IT DIDN'T SQUIRREL HIGH, BUT IF I REMEMBER THEIR PRESENTATION CORRECTLY, WHEN IT CAME TIME TO A, A WHEELCHAIR NEED VIA WAS WHO THEY SUBCONTRACTED TO THAT THEN YOU GUYS PROVIDED THAT? YEAH, IT COULD BE.
AND THERE'S ALSO, IN THIS REGION, I MEAN HILL COUNTRY REGION, THERE'S, IT CAN GET SOMEWHAT CONFUSING BECAUSE THE SAN ANTONIO AGENCY IS CALLED VIA DOES NOT.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, YES, WE WORK WITH COUNTLESS AGENCIES THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT US TO HELP THEM WITH A DA AIR TRANSIT SERVICE.
SO THEY BASICALLY SAY, LOOK, AS AN EXAMPLE, AT THE AGENCY LEVEL, WE STILL PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, FIXED ROUTE TRANSIT, GENERAL PUBLIC TRANSIT, BUT WE NEED YOU GUYS TO SPECIALIZE IN MOBILITY FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT CAN'T REGULAR.
SO WE HAVE A CONTRACT SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXCLUSIVE, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LIKE, WE ONLY DO THIS FOR PEOPLE WHO ISSUES.
BUT THEN AGAIN, MY QUESTION WAS JUST LIKE, IF WE DON'T ALREADY HAVE THAT, HOW WOULD WE THEN PROVIDE THAT SERVICE? BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE THE FIRST MARKET FOR IT.
PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE, THERE'S ALREADY PEOPLE LOOKING FOR THAT.
RIGHT? SO HOW WOULD WE AS A CITY SOLVE THAT? RIGHT? WOULD WE HAVE TO BUY A VEHICLE? WOULD WE JUST PUT A WORD AS, HEY WE'RE, LOOK, WE HAVE THE SERVICE NOW WE'RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE ABLE TO MOVE PEOPLE TO THE DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS.
WELL LIKE, LIKE YOU SAID, I MEAN, I CAME IN AFTERWARDS ALSO, SO I DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, I MEAN I KNOW THAT CAME UP A COUPLE MONTHS AGO ABOUT THIS TYPE OF THING.
SO I'M KIND OF CURIOUS, WHAT IS DEMAND IN HU FOR, I, THERE IS DEMAND FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT, BUT WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? I'M SORRY.
WELL, YEAH, BUT IF, I MEAN, IF WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE ON WHEELCHAIR, THEY NEED TO GET TO THE DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY SHOULD TAKE ON OR THAT THEY CAN FIGURE OUT? I MEAN, IF WE HAD A WHOLE, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE THAT, UM, SENIOR LIVING FACILITY RIGHT THERE OFF OF CHRIS KELLY.
DO DO, DO THEY ALL NEED RIDES? DO THEY HAVE THEIR OWN VEHICLES? DO THEY, SO THAT'S PART THAT, THAT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHY THIS CAME UP.
WELL, FOR ME, I TRY TO CATCH THE NET TO CATCHES MOST PEOPLE POSSIBLE MM-HMM.
KNOWING IN THE BEGINNING, I DON'T KNOW, WE CAN CATCH EVERY SINGLE THING.
BECAUSE THE COST OF EVERY SINGLE THING IS USUALLY SO PROHIBITIVE YEAH.
THAT YOU END UP NOT DOING THE SERVICE.
AND SO IT'S NOT THAT I'VE DIMINISHING THE 5% OF POPULATION WE MAY MISS OUT ON.
BUT IF WE CAN BENEFIT 45% OF THE POPULATION INITIALLY, AND THEN AS WE FIGURE THINGS OUT EXPAND TO CATCH THE FIVE, TO ME THAT'S MORE BENEFICIAL TO DO OVERALL.
BUT IF WE JUST FOCUS ON A FIVE OR WHATEVER THE PERCENT IS, IT'S PROBABLY NOT THAT HIGH, THEN WE END UP NOT DOING ANYTHING.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF OF, OF THE MICRO TREND THING HERE IN HU MM-HMM
BUT THEN WE START TALKING ABOUT A DA COMPLIANT, THAT GETS MORE TRICKIER BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA BUY A VAN THAT'S GONNA SIT THERE.
YOU KNOW, 90% OF THE TIME YOU'RE NEVER GONNA USE IT IF YOU WANNA HELP THE PEOPLE, IT SURE.
IT GOTTA BE, IT'S GOTTA BE COST EFFECTIVE KNOWING WHAT THE DEMAND IS.
WE, BUT I THINK JUST FROM HELPING PEOPLE WITH RIDES MYSELF, MY PERSONAL LIFE FOR YEARS IS PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE A VEHICLE.
THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE USE OF THIS.
ANY TYPE OF SERVICE LIKE THIS, I DON'T HAVE A VEHICLE.
PRIMARILY THE DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS ARE JUST GETTING DROPPED
[00:40:01]
OFF AT MAYBE GO GET GROCERIES.OR, OR JUST, JUST PERSONAL BASIC NEEDS.
THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WE CALL 'EM SHUT-INS, BUT PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE OLDER, UH, MAYBE THEY, MAYBE THEY HAVE A VEHICLE BUT THEY CAN'T DRIVE MM-HMM
BUT JUST TO ME, I THINK THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE USE FOR PEOPLE THAT WERE GONNA SAY THAT WHEN I GET A CALL, CAN YOU TAKE ME TO SOMEPLACE? THAT'S WHAT IT'S, I DON'T HAVE A VEHICLE.
UM, I GOT A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT, I I'VE GOT AN EMERGENCY TOOTH THING.
THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE WANT RIDES FOR.
AND THEY DON'T HAVE A CAR OR THEY DON'T HAVE SOMEONE THAT CAN TAKE THEM THAT'S IN THE FAMILY, WHICH USELESS.
BUT IT'S USUALLY LIKE, HEY, I NEED SOMETHING RIGHT NOW.
ARE THEY, ARE THEY IN THIS WEEK? YEAH.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, SO, AND, AND IT'S GOTTA BE DEMAND.
I THINK YOU MENTIONED IT EARLIER, I, I, I REMEMBER SEEING A POST SOMEWHERE, UH, SOME GUY WHO HAS A VAN THAT HE, UM, WRAPPED FOR THAT PURPOSE,
I THINK IT WAS MORE OF AN IDEA.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT, SO THERE'S GOTTA BE, I I CAN'T SAY THERE'S DEMAND FOR IT.
I, I SAY THAT, UM, I THINK, UM, IF WE CAN PROVIDE THAT, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, UM, THAT'S MORE, IT'S, IT'S GOTTA HELP THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE A RIDE WHO NEEDS TO GO TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, THAT'S GONNA BE THEIR PRIMARY FOCUS.
UM, BUT OTHER PEOPLE THAT WANNA USE IT JUST CAN'T USE IT.
WELL, I MEAN I REALLY, EVERYTHING THAT JIM, ALL THE THINGS THAT HE LISTED ARE ALL FALL UNDER MOBILITY ACCESS.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE JUST EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE FOR ANY KIND OF REASON.
SO I THINK BACK TO YOUR QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE HU DEMAND FOR MOBILITY? LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE MOBILITY BARRIERS WITHIN HURO THAT WE WOULD BE SERVING? AND WITHIN THAT OF COURSE FALLS PEOPLE THAT NEED WHEELCHAIR OR A DA TYPE OF SPECIAL TYPE OF VEHICLE TO MOVE THEIR WHATEVER THEY HAVE.
THAT'S JUST WITHIN THAT JUST ONE LITTLE PIECE OF IT.
UM, BUT MOBILITY, ACCESSIBILITY COULD LOOK A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO, TO JEN'S POINT, UM, DO WE KNOW WHAT THE DEMAND IS? HAVE WE DONE LIKE AT THAT? HAVE WE BROKEN IT DOWN THAT GRANULAR SURVEY HERE? YEAH.
SO RIGHT NOW WE JUST HAD THE VERY BEGINNING JUST LOOKING TO SEE WHO'S OUT THERE, WHO'S AVAILABLE.
WELL, I'M JUST THINKING OF SOME OF OUR 2024, YOU KNOW, STATISTIC SIGNIFICANCE.
UM, TO, TO GO BACK A LITTLE AND KIND OF RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT, I SUPPOSE SCALING, UM, WITH THE, WITH THE NEW DATA THAT WE WOULD HAVE, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING AND IF THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY STAYING IN HU I WOULD BE REALLY CURIOUS TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE TAKING, DEPENDING ON IF THIS WAS A CITY LIMITS ONLY OR IF YOU ALL WERE TO PERMIT, UM, ACCESS TO ST.
DAVID'S OR THE OTHER, UM, HOSPITAL SYSTEM.
I CAN'T THINK OF THE NAME RIGHT NOW.
LIKE WHERE ARE PEOPLE GOING? AND THEN FURTHER I DO UNDERSTAND, UM, IF WE HAD A DEDICATED VEHICLE THAT IF SOMEONE ELSE, UM, LIKE I WERE TO REQUEST A, A RIDE INSTEAD OF IT GOING TO AN UBER, IT WOULD ALLOW US MAYBE TO PRIORITIZE THAT VEHICLE.
I THINK THAT COULD BE A, A THING YEAH.
TO, TO LESSEN THE TECHNICALLY OPERATING COST PER HOUR OF THAT VEHICLE.
BUT WE CAN ALSO SEE ON THE BACK END OF THAT DATA WHO, WHAT KINDS OF RIDERS ARE USING THAT SPECIFIC VEHICLE AND THEN HOW LONG THEY'RE WAITING.
AND WE WOULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION WELL IN ADVANCE.
MAYBE A BIT BEING AN ACTUAL CONCERN IN TERMS OF DO WE HAVE ENOUGH SUPPORT FOR WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT NEED THAT.
AND WE COULD RESPOND TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WELL WITHIN HAVING INFORMATION AND THEN ACTUALLY NEED TO RESPOND.
I THINK BY USING THIRD PARTY, THAT SOLVES A LOT OF THE CONCERNS.
IF YOU START OFF INITIALLY RIGHT OUT OF GATE, HOW MUCH, WHAT'S THE DEMAND? WELL, IF YOU LOOK AT A DEDICATED SERVICE, NOW YOU GOT DEDICATED COSTS, RIGHT? WHEREAS IF YOU GO THIRD PARTY, YOU CAN SAY, LIKE, HOW I ENVISION THIS IS WE'D SAY, WE SIT AROUND AND GO, OKAY, WHERE, WHERE DO WE, WHO DO WE WANNA SERVE? RIGHT? AND WHERE ARE WE GONNA SERVE THEM TO? AND TO ME IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT, THE MOST PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE RIGHTS, GROCERIES, UH, DOCTOR'S OFFICES ARE GEOFENCED.
YOU GOT THE PLACE ON UNIVERSITY, YOU GOT ST.
DAVID'S LIKE I WOULDN'T DO THE AIRPORT BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S GONNA USE IT THEN.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PARKING AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF.
BUT I'D SEE THAT AND THEN, OKAY, WHAT DOES THAT COST LOOK LIKE? AND THEN, OKAY, WELL WE DON'T WANT, WE WANT EVERYBODY TO PAY $7 PER RIDE, UH, UP TO $7.
'CAUSE MAYBE IT'S A $4 RIDE TO GO WHEREVER THEY'RE GOING.
AND SO THEN YOU SAY, OKAY, YOU SET THAT UP AND THEN WE'RE GONNA COVER THE NEXT X AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND SO THEN IT GOES INTO THE SYSTEM IS WHAT I'M IMAGINING.
AND THEN NOW MOBILITY CHALLENGE.
I GO INTO WHEREVER THE SYSTEM IS.
THE CITY SAID THEY TAKE THE NEXT 15.
SO THE CITY GETS CHARGED EIGHT, THE RIDER MYSELF GOT CHARGED SEVEN, I GET TO GO TO HEB, THEN I TURN AROUND, IT'S GONNA COST ME $7 HYPOTHETICALLY TO COME BACK BECAUSE IT'S NOT A $15 RIDE.
AND SO FOR 14 BUCKS I MADE IT THERE AND BACK.
[00:45:01]
IDEALLY IT'S $14.IT'S STILL COST ME MORE THAN PEOPLE WITH A CAR.
BUT PEOPLE WITH A CAR PAY, MAINTENANCE, INSURANCE, GAS TOLLS.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR COST IS, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M, THAT'S WHEN I FIRST BROUGHT THIS UP AND ACTUALLY PETER BROUGHT IT UP ORIGINALLY, THEN IT KIND OF DIED AND THEN KIND OF SAID, WELL THIS IS VERY INTERESTING 'CAUSE PEOPLE TALK ABOUT A LOT.
BUT I THINK THE AMOUNT OF USAGE IS ALL GONNA BE CONTINGENT ON WHAT YOU SAID.
LIKE I SAID, IF YOU SAID TO THE AIRPORT, I GET A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT SAY THAT'D BE A WHOLE HELL LOT BETTER THAN PARKING IN THE RED LOT OR BLUE LOT.
I'LL JUST DROP ME OFF AT THE FRONT DOOR AND IT COST ME 25 BUCKS.
BUT IT COULD COST THE CITY 75.
BUT THEN ARE YOU REALLY, FOR ME, I'M NOT TRYING TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE.
I'M NOT TRYING TO HELP THE GUY.
LET'S GO BAR HOPPING EITHER AND COME HOME LATE AT NIGHT.
I AM TRYING TO HELP THE PEOPLE THAT CAR BROKE DOWN FINANCIALLY THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT.
UH, FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY'VE MADE A MISTAKE IN LIFE AND THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DRIVE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN I WOULD IMAGINE AT SOME POINT WHEN IT COMES TIME WE START GETTING IN THE REQUESTS FOR, UH, OTHER UM, LIKE ACCESS ISSUES AND OTHER TYPES OF MOBILITY PROBLEMS, THEN THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED ATTACKING THEM AS WE GO.
'CAUSE TO ME, IF YOU TRY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM BEFORE THERE'S A PROBLEM, YOU, YOU, YOU COULD SPEND A HUNDRED GRAND A YEAR AND FIVE PEOPLE AND YOU GO THE COST OF, 'CAUSE I'M GONNA WANNA KNOW THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
WHAT IS THE COST OF RIDE FOR THAT PERSON? RIGHT? AND, AND WE MAY NOT BE A CITY THAT CAN AFFORD TO PAY FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT HAS, LIKE I GOT A DOCTOR THAT LIVES ENTHRALL.
WE MAY NOT BE SERVING THAT DOCTOR BECAUSE THERE HAS TO BE A LIMIT AT SOME POINT, WHAT WE COULD PROVIDE.
BUT, UM, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WHAT I SAW IN ALL, ALL THIS IN THE VERY BEGINNING, WHATEVER IT WAS, NINE MONTHS, IT PROBABLY HELD, I GUESS IT WAS A YEAR AGO.
'CAUSE WE BUDGET MONEY FOR THIS THIS YEAR, I THINK.
AND I DO EXPECT THAT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR IT TO EXPAND.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NOTHING.
SO SOMETHING'S GONNA BE BETTER THAN NOTHING.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT STOMACH CAN WE HAVE? 'CAUSE AGAIN, WE CAN BUILD SIDEWALKS OR WE CAN OFFER A SERVICE LIKE THIS.
'CAUSE THIS IS GONNA TAKE AWAY FROM SIDEWALKS, A STREET, TREES SOMEWHERE.
'CAUSE THERE'S, I MEAN, THERE'S NOT INFINITE MONEY.
I THINK, I THINK THE POINT IS, IS THAT IN A, IN A LOT OF WAYS THE VIA SERVICE IS LIKE BURGER KING.
LIKE IT, IT, YOU BUILD IT YOUR WAY, THE WAY THAT YOU WANT IT.
SO YOU CAN PUT LIKE ALL THE PARAMETERS YOU JUST DESCRIBED, YOU CAN BUILD INTO IT.
YOU DO HAVE TO PROVIDE A DA OPTION BECAUSE WE'RE A GOVERNMENT AND WE CAN'T DISCRIMINATE.
SO IF SOMEONE WANTS TO USE THE SERVICE AND THEY'RE, AND THEY'RE ELIGIBLE IN THE LOCATION OR WHATEVER ELSE, WE CAN'T SAY, NAH, SORRY, YOU MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY.
OR WE'RE NOT PICKING UP SOMEBODY AND HEY, YOU KNOW, IN A WHEELCHAIR, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
BUT VIA SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE THIRD PARTY STUFF FOR ALL OF THOSE SERVICES.
SO IF YOU HAVE 10 PEOPLE THAT RIDE A MONTH, THEN THAT'S IT.
WELL THEN YOU PAID THE, THE, WHAT WOULD DID YOU SAY 10 GRAND, YOU JUST PAID THE 10 GRAND TO BUILD THE APP.
AND THEN YOU PAID YOUR 50 CENTS 10 TIMES AND THAT'S IT.
WELL, WELL THEN WHATEVER THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS PER RIDE WERE.
I WAS SAYING AN UBER HAS, LIKE, AGAIN, IF I WANTED TO GO FROM HERE BECAUSE I CAN'T WALK AND I WANTED TO GO TO LOWE'S.
OKAY, I CAN GET AN UBER X FOR 10 93, AN UBER EXCEL, THAT'S SEVEN MINUTES, 14 98, 7 MINUTES.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
BUT THAT'S 10 MINUTES AWAY, THAT'S NINE 90.
SO I CAN SAVE, UH, $2 OR A DOLLAR COMFORT, WHICH LOOKS LIKE A SMALL CAR THAT'S EIGHT MINUTES AWAY, 1298.
IT ALLOWS ME TO TAKE A PET 11 MINUTES AWAY FOR 1693.
THEN THERE'S AN XXL, THEN THERE'S A PREMIER, PREMIER SUV, AND THEN A WAVE, WHICH IS A WHEELCHAIR.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAVE STANDS.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLE.
SO THAT ONE'S LONGER YOUR WAY.
WHICH MY GUESS IS BECAUSE ONLY SO MANY PEOPLE WITH A WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VAN.
BUT TO JIM'S POINT, HE'S DONE THIS.
YOU SAID HE DID THIS BEFORE, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO ME HAVE, HE MAY HAVE A VAN WITH A LIFT AND HE'S GETTING TO WAIT A LITTLE BIT.
HE'S, I MEAN HE'S PROBABLY IN HIGHER DEMAND.
WHEREAS SOME THESE OTHER GUYS MAY BE PARKED AT A, MAYBE PARKED AT BURGER KING WAITING FOR NEXT, YOU KNOW, DING THAT HAPPEN.
BUT, SO WE COULD DO A THIRD CORNER INTEGRATION AND STILL HAVE ACCESS WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE UBER OFFERS THAT.
AND THEN IF IT WOULD BE THROUGH UBER.
AND THEN THIRD PARTY, WOULD IT BE THIRD PARTY TO JUST ONE? LIKE IF, OR WOULD IT BE WHOEVER'S OUT THERE? WHOEVER'S OUT THERE, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A, THERE'S A GUY WITH AN A TX TAXI I THINK IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE.
SO IT'S, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
FROM OUR STANDPOINT, WE WOULDN'T WANT TO LIMIT IT.
THE MORE, RIGHT, IF THE THIRD PARTY EXISTS AND THEY CAN PROVIDE A VEHICLE THAT MEETS THE SERVICE NEEDS, THE MORE WE HAVE THE BETTER.
BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO NEGOTIATE THE BEST PRICE RIDE TO SERVE THE TRIP.
[00:50:01]
SO TO YOUR POINT, IT'S NOT JUST LIMITING THE SEARCH TO UBER OR LYFT OR MAJOR NATIONAL PROVIDERS.I'VE DONE SOME CURSORY TESTING JUST CALLING PLACES AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF I NEED A WHEELCHAIR? THEY'VE GIVEN ME SOME DIRECTIONAL GUIDANCE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN EFFECTIVELY, THEY WILL THEN WORK WITHIN THEIR NETWORK TO FIND SOMEONE WHO HAS THAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLE.
TO YOUR POINT, MAYBE IT IS A SLIGHTLY LONGER WAIT TIME BECAUSE THEY NEED TO MAKE THAT IDENTIFICATION.
BUT THE BIG THEME IS, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OPTIONS BEYOND JUST ONE OR TWO.
AND OUR GOAL WOULD BE WHOEVER'S OUT THERE THAT CAN MEET THE THRESHOLD OF BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICE, WE'LL HAVE THEM, YOU KNOW, AVAILABLE WHEN OUR ALGORITHM IS FIGURING OUT WHERE TO SEND THE RIDE.
YOU KNOW, KIND OF GO BACK TO COSTS HERE.
I KNOW YOU CAN'T ANSWER, I'M NOT ASKING THE ANSWERS RIGHT NOW, BUT JUST LOOKING AT THIS, I MEAN, SEE I THINK THERE'S A FIXED PACKAGE HERE, BUT DEPENDING, DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY RIDES, THERE'S A COST CHANGE, WHERE WE'RE GOING COST CHANGE WHEN WE'RE DOING IT, YOU KNOW, ALL HOURS OR JUST, YOU KNOW, DATE HOURS, THERE'S COST CHARGE.
I'M EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE 80 A DA COMPLIANT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE SOMEHOW TO SEE SOME TYPE OF COST MODELING OR BREAKEVEN ANALYSIS, YOU KNOW, WITH SOME OF THESE VARIABLES.
LIKE THE AREA, THE NUMBER OF RIDES, WHAT HOURS THE A DA, I'M GONNA ADMIT RIGHT NOW, BUT THE PROMOS, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IS THAT SOMETHING Y'ALL CAN DO INTERNALLY OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE NEED A THIRD PARTY OR, YES, WE'RE GONNA BE BASED ON THE DEMAND BECAUSE FOR INSTANCE, THE FAIR YOU CHOOSE TO INSTITUTE, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH YOU END UP PAYING FROM THE CITY PERSPECTIVE IS GOING TO BE A PRODUCT OF THE DEMAND THAT YOU FIND.
SO FROM OUR STANDPOINT, IT'S NOT LIKE I'M GONNA SAY, HEY, IF YOUR FAIR POLICY IS $2 PLUS A SUBSIDY VERSUS A FULL SUBSIDY, I'M GONNA TAKE A SKIM FROM THAT.
IT'S REALLY A QUESTION OF WHAT DOES THE DEMAND CREATE.
SIMILAR WITH THE SERVICE ZONE, IF YOUR BIGGER SERVICE ZONE CREATES HIGHER DEMAND AND YOU'VE AGREED TO SERVE THE RIDES, YOU KNOW YOUR COST GOES UP.
BUT AGAIN, VIA HAS NO, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S, THERE'S A MINIMUM PACKAGE COST THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE TO GET THE DATA TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR COSTS ARE GONNA BE.
NO, I THINK YOUR COSTS ARE GONNA BE DETERMINED.
I THINK WHAT HE'S TRYING TO SAY IS, HOW MANY PEOPLE CHOOSE TO RIDE IS WHAT DRIVES YOUR COST.
THERE IS NO COST UPFRONT EXCEPT FOR THE APP.
ALL OF THESE PARAMETERS THOUGH, DO YOU WANT TO INCENTIVIZE THE TRIP? WHAT'S THE FAIR STRUCTURE THAT HAS NO, THERE'S NO COST FOR THE APP.
SO THERE'S THE COST FOR THAT, AND THEN WE GO FROM THERE.
50 CENTS A RIDE IS WHAT YOU PAY VIA.
THE BIGGER THING IS THAT THESE DECISIONS, THE POLICY DECISIONS, EFFECTIVELY, THEY'RE GOING OVER TIME TO IMPACT THE VOLUME OF RIDES.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO BE SUPER GENEROUS WITH THE SERVICE ZONE AND THE HOURS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW, YOU WILL EITHER SPIKE OR COMPRESSED DEMAND, AND DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU GUYS WANT SUBSIDIZE, THAT'S YOUR KIND OF BOTTOM LINE.
LIKE FROM A VIA STANDPOINT, WE'RE REMOVED AT THAT POINT.
I HOPE IT IS IT, WE GOT IN THIS, BUT IT DOES SEEM LIKE YOUR, YOUR STARTUP COSTS ARE DRAMATICALLY LOWER YEAH.
THAN OTHER PEOPLE'S FOR WHEN, WHEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU STILL JUST NEED TO DO, BECAUSE THE FIRST THING PUT MY MIND IS WHY WOULD YOU JUST USE UBER? RIGHT? AND SO THEN IT'S REALLY COMES TO THE INTERFACE AND HOW YOU GET PEOPLE TO USE UBER.
THAT THE MARKET BASED IS KNOWING THAT PEAK PERIODS IT'S GONNA COST US MORE THAN MORE, BUT THAN LOW PEAK PERIODS, IT, IT COST ME LESS THE METRICS THAT COME WITH THAT.
BUT I, I DON'T KNOW HOW, I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED ANOTHER, I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED ANOTHER, A WORKSHOP BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY ON QUESTION THREE OUTTA YOU SAID STUFF,
I MEAN, TO YOUR CREDIT THOUGH, YOU HAVE ALSO ANSWERED THE MAJORITY OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS.
I MEAN, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW IF I AIN'T GOT, YOU'VE GIVEN ME GOOD.
I MEAN, I, I CAN MAKE SOME INFERENCES.
SO FOR INSTANCE, ON THE SERVICE ZONE, BEFORE COMING IN, I DIDN'T KNOW IF THE OBJECTIVE WAS MAXIMIZE RIDERSHIP OR ONLY SERVE A LIMITED GROUP BASED ON EVERYTHING YOU'VE GIVEN.
I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY WE'RE NOT GOING TO SAY THAT THE SERVICE AVAILABLE ANYWHERE IN THE REGION.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE, I, I WOULDN'T MIND HAVING, LIKE IF, IF NEW YEAR'S EVE DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS OPEN LATE, WERE LIKE, LOOK, WE WOULD LIKE TO SPONSOR THE ABILITY FOR SOMEONE TO DO THIS.
AND I THINK WE OUGHT TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE A CHECK FROM THEM, PUT IT IN AND SAY, WE'LL COVER, WE'LL HELP OUT.
BUT IF IT'S LIKE AN EVERYDAY THING, AGAIN, NOT WILLING TO COST, RIGHT? AND THAT'S ANOTHER PROMO.
SO EFFECTIVELY YOUR, YOUR POLICY OF WHERE, HOW, HOW FAR OF THE BOUNDARIES IN THE CITY ARE YOU WILLING TO SERVE? WHAT HOURS ARE YOU WILLING TO SERVE, WHERE ARE YOU WILLING TO LET PEOPLE GO AND GET PICKED BACK UP FROM TO COME BACK? THOSE ARE DETERMINING HOW BIG YOUR NET IS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO GET CAPTURED INTO THE SERVICE.
AND THEN YOUR COSTS GET DRIVEN BY THOSE RIDES SIMPLY BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE A HUNDRED RIDES AND YOU'RE CAPPED AT 10 BUCKS VERSUS IF YOU, IF YOU GENERATE 10,000 RIDES LIKE NEW BRAUNFELS WAS DOING, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GENERATE 10,000 AT 10 BUCKS, THAT'S WHERE YOUR COSTS HAPPENS.
SO THEN WHAT HAPPENS, JIM, IS THAT YOU, YOU IMPLEMENT
[00:55:01]
THIS AND IF Y'ALL ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICULAR DEMOGRAPHIC, THE DAYTIME HOURS IS BEST BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THAT DEMOGRAPHIC'S USUALLY NEEDING TO GO DO STUFF.SO YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD CAP IT IN THOSE HOURS AND THEN YOU WOULD GET THE RIGHT DATA TO SAY HOW, HOW MANY PICKUPS? WHERE DID THEY GO? WHAT WAS THEIR DESTINATION? WHAT WAS THE AVERAGE COST? AND THEN YOU JUST HAVE TO DECIDE HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO UNDERWRITE? AND, AND THEN WE HAVE MONEY SET ASIDE THE BUDGET, AND THEN WE SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN A FEW MONTHS.
AND THEN YOU CAN TWEAK THE STUFF AGAIN AND SAY, OKAY, WELL I DIDN'T WORK.
I'LL SAY 10 TO FOUR AND OH, I'D LIKE TO GO AT 9:00 AM TO DOCTOR SEVEN TO 10 O'CLOCK.
NOW IF WE, WE GET IN, WE FIND OUT, HEY, THERE'S A LOT OF DEMAND AT NINE, WE CAN ALWAYS BUMP IT TO NINE AND WE CAN, TO ME, YOU CAN ALWAYS EXPAND.
WHAT YOU CAN'T DO IS START BIG AND THEN START AWAY.
THEN, THEN YOU'RE TAKING BENEFITS AWAY.
BUT IF YOU ADD BENEFITS, EVERYBODY'S HAPPY.
THE MINUTE YOU ALL OF A SUDDEN SAY, NO, YOU CAN'T GO TO THE HEB ON FLICKERBALL PARKWAY.
AND THE, AND THE HOURS OF THE NEW BRAUNFELS SERVICE TELLS YOU THAT THEY WERE DOING THE SAME THING.
THEY WERE SERVING A PARTICULAR DEMOGRAPHIC.
THEY WEREN'T INTERESTED IN SERVING THE NIGHTTIME BAR HOPPING AND THE, HEY, I NEED A, I NEED A TAXI OR UBER TO GO BECAUSE I DRANK TOO MUCH OR ANY OF THAT SORT OF STUFF.
THEY WERE AFTER A PARTICULAR DEMOGRAPHIC WHO NEEDED TO GET PLACES DURING THE DAY AND WAS GONNA GO SHOPPING TO THE DOCTORS AND THAT SORT OF STUFF.
OUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS AS FAR AS I CAN SEE IS THAT HOSPITAL IS USUALLY A BIG, YOU KNOW, PROP.
UH, THERE'S USUALLY A, A, A BIG PROPONENT OF HAVING A HOSPITAL DESTINATION.
AND OUR CLOSEST HOSPITAL DESTINATIONS ARE PRETTY FAR AWAY RIGHT NOW.
THAT, THAT TO ME IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST SIGNIFICANT THING.
THERE'S ALSO NOT A VERY GOOD MEDICAL DISTRICT HERE, WHICH IS ALSO WHERE A LOT OF THOSE RIDES GO.
SO TO ME THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY THE BIGGEST EXPOSURE WE WOULD HAVE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE START SEEING WHERE THE RIDES ARE GOING, THEN IT WILL CERTAINLY HELP Y'ALL BE ABLE TO MAKE ADDITIONAL DECISIONS AND, AND WHAT THE DEMAND IS.
WE DON'T HOW MANY PEOPLE OKAY.
WHY DON'T WE MOVE THIS TO THE COUNCIL, UH,
THAT WHAT WE'RE ALL PAID WITH.
AND THEN COME BACK, COME BACK
SO WE'LL ADJOURN AT, UH, 6 57.