Kansas City’s microtransit experiment RideKC: Bridj launches Monday

The metro area’s experiment with microtransit will get underway Monday when the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority launches the on-demand shuttle service RideKC: Bridj.

The new ride-hailing van service will operate during the morning and evening rush hours — from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays — and will cost $1.50. RideKC: Bridj is offering the first 10 rides per person free for those who use the promo code KCBRIDJ.

The program, which requires people to use a cellphone app, will serve downtown Kansas City, Hospital Hill, Crown Center, portions of Kansas City’s midtown area and the 18th and Vine Jazz District.

The exact boundaries are flexible, depending on rider demand, and could shift or expand during the one-year pilot program, organizers said. Riders can view the service areas by looking for the shaded areas on the app’s map.

Riders can book trips in real time. The earliest rides can be booked is 24 hours in advance.

The KCATA is offering the transit service, which was announced last month, as a collaboration with technology company Bridj of Boston and Ford Motor Co.

Ford will provide 10 Transit passenger vans with a custom 14-passenger seating layout. Bridj will provide the technology that determines how to get riders to their destinations efficiently. The KCATA is spending $1.3 million on the pilot program.

Riders can download the app from Apple’s App Store or Google Play.

This story was originally published March 3, 2016 at 9:34 AM with the headline "Kansas City’s microtransit experiment RideKC: Bridj launches Monday."