Houston Metro riders will begin paying a fare for its on-demand electric shuttle service, which has been free for the last three years during the program’s pilot phase.
The agency will charge for the Community Connector on-demand microtransit service as it integrates the program with the rest of its transit system, a Metro announcement states. It will start charging riders Sept. 28.
The fare will be $1.25 in service zones, including downtown, the Heights, Near Northside, Second Ward and Third Ward. The service will continue to operate Monday through Friday but with expanded operating hours: from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Metro launched the electric shuttle pilot program through a partnership with Evolve Houston. The agency transitioned the service to MV Transportation, which also operates MetroLift and curb2curb.
Michael Andrade, vice president of specialized transit service operations at Metro, said the agency has completed the Community Connector’s pilot phase.
“We’ve had a successful pilot of the Community Connector service as we’ve onboarded the service, and now we’re ready to move into the next phase,” he said during a Sept. 16 Metro committee meeting.
The service’s ridership increased nearly 64% from a year earlier, according to the 2027 Metro budget draft.
The service offers other vehicles, including ADA wheelchair-accessible minivans. Metro will install new fare-payment devices, according to the announcement. When drivers pay for the electric shuttle fare, they will receive free transfers to other Metro services.