New York State and Centro are joining forces to create a first of its kind of micro transit bus system in the city of Rome. This new initiative, called MOVE, is the melding of two services, according to State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez.
“I like to think of it as kind of ride-sharing technology like Uber and Lyft, meets public transportation,” she said.
Bus riders can use an app called MOVE to call a smaller micro-bus to their neighborhood, eliminating long wait times for regular buses. It is part of a plan by the state and Centro to revamp service in Rome for the first time in almost 20 years.
“They're able to streamline the pickup times a little bit more,” said Rome Mayor Jeffrey Lanigan. “So people aren't standing for 45 minutes at one waiting for their bus. If they miss that, they got to wait another 45 minutes. So it's nice that they were able to streamline that while also adding on this pretty much a dial-a-ride service."
Trips will start and end at a designated point. After booking a ride on the app, you’ll be given a location to meet the bus. Because it’s a shared service, other people may be on the bus and it may stop to pick up other passengers. The state is paying for the technology and upkeep of the vehicles. Centro already owned the eight-seat micro-buses. They’re handicapped compliant, as well as able to transport bikes.
Centro Deputy CEO Christopher Tuff said it’s easier for smaller buses to get in certain neighborhoods, and are more energy efficient than big buses. And depending on how things work out in Rome, the program could expand.
“We're evaluating our other cities to see how we can make it fit,” Tuff said. “So maybe we do go to the Oswego and Auburn. Maybe we look at Utica and scale it up."
Riders can also call 315-356-MOVE to schedule a ride. The fare is $1.00 to or from the Rome Centro hub or $4.00 to anywhere in the designated zone.
