- Small town public transit is kind of like that old vending machine in the break room: everyone knows it's lousy, but it's just kind of always been there.

People complain, but nothing is ever done.

Well, the city of Wilson, North Carolina decided to do something about their public transit system.

They pulled the plug.

This was Wilson's public bus system, six routes covering only 40% of the city, riders waiting up to an hour between buses.

And Wilson isn't alone.

Across rural America, public transit is broken.

Mass transit is built for the masses.

It's right there in the name.

It's not meant to meet individual needs.

So in 2020, Wilson did something radical, and overnight, their city buses went extinct.

They replaced their buses with a fleet of on-demand vans, similar to Uber, but run by the city.

But before we call this a miracle solution, I gotta ask, could this really be the answer to rural transportation woes, or is this just another example of high-tech hype that falls a bit short?

Let's find out.

[upbeat music] Every morning in Wilson, North Carolina starts pretty much the same way, with Kutina Winston checking her first ride of the day.

- We go to Walmart, I'm going to say, maybe 10 times a day.

- Okay.

But Kutina isn't your typical rideshare driver.

She's part of a bold experiment in public transportation.

- I'm actually gonna go to the terminal.

So it'll pop back on where I can get a ride.

- [David] Okay.

While riding along with Kutina, her tablet chirps with a new request.

It's Ms. Pamela, one of her regulars.

- [Kutina] Now, put your hand on my hand.

- [Pamela] Okay.

Always a lot of questions.

- [Kutina] No, you all right.

Back up.

Let me move this out of the way.

- [Pamela] All right.

[Kutina laughs] - [Kutina] All right, love.

Thank you, ma'am.

- [Pamela] Okay.

- [David] For Ms. Pamela, getting to her medical appointments used to mean hours of planning around the old bus schedule.

Now it just takes a tap on an app.

Did you ever ride the bus?

- [Pamela] Yes.

- Yeah?

How was that?

- [Pamela] It was okay.

- [David] The word "okay" kept coming up in conversations about Wilson's old bus system.

It technically worked, but in a town where many residents don't own cars, okay meant sometimes planning your whole day around a single bus ride.

This is what the fixed route bus system in Wilson looked like.

Before the pandemic, it averaged just less than 1,500 rides per week.

In many small towns like Wilson, low population density means fewer bus riders and less funding.

The result?

Long wait times, limited routes, and restricted hours.

But without frequent reliable transit, rural Americans lose access to jobs, education, and even basics like healthcare and groceries.

The solution some communities have come up with is called microtransit.

It's not quite a bus, not quite an Uber, but it's the middle ground.

It uses technology to coordinate rides in smaller vehicles.

And that's exactly what Wilson RIDE does.

The Wilson RIDE app works just like Uber or Lyft.

What do I do next?

- So we got a thing where you can type in, like, where to.

So wherever you wanted to go.

You can put in an address, or sometimes you can even type in, like, just like Google Maps, I wanna go to Target, or I wanna go to Walmart, or whatever.

- [David] Once you enter your destination, the app connects you with the nearest available van.

But unlike rideshare services, you don't have the option of riding alone.

- You might be sharing that trip.

That's what makes it transit, is sometimes you have people on when you get on.

And they may get dropped off first, or you might get dropped off first.

So that's what makes it transit.

The algorithm, the computer program says what's the best routing, who gets dropped off first, where you get picked up, and what it does- - [David] The service is designed to be accessible to everyone.

Those without smartphones can call to book rides.

And there's even a solution for riders who don't have a bank account.

- Some people don't have a debit card, and they're unbanked, so to speak.

And so when they have cash, they can actually go to the customer service building, deposit the cash with our customer service folks, and they can put those credits on their account.

- [David] The technology might be impressive, but the real test of any transit system isn't in its apps, it's in its impact.

So this is what really surprised me.

Ridership on this new system, it's tripled compared to the old mass bus system.

Let that sink in.

Tripled.

- You know, just like Uber, you can, you know, give a star rating for your trip.

And those that choose to do it, I mean, we're running, like, 4.8, 4.9 out of 5 stars.

I don't think there's many government services that actually get that level of response often.

It's not perfect.

Certainly, we have issues from time to time like there is with any service.

But on the whole, this has really expanded access in the community, and it's done what we wanted it to do, which is to connect people to more work opportunities, as well as, you know, especially when it launched during COVID, you know, those essential services.

- [David] But I'm skeptical that blowing up the public transit system will work in every community.

So I went digging and found this report by some NC State researchers who were just as skeptical.

They studied microtransit pilots across North Carolina to understand what makes them work or not work.

[reflective music] Their key finding?

Well, there's no magic formula.

What works in Wilson might not work in Wilmington, where their system has seen slower ridership growth despite serving a larger population.

The report reveals it's not just about population size, it's about understanding your community's unique needs.

Some cities use microtransit to complement existing bus routes.

Others, like Wilson, replace their entire system.

And some communities use it to serve areas where traditional buses aren't practical.

So what do we make of these conflicting outcomes?

While microtransit isn't a one-size-all-fits solution, the research shows there's significant demand for flexible transit options, especially in lower-density areas that may be underserved by public transportation.

- Transit becomes density dependent, especially when you're on fixed route.

I used to work in the city of Charlotte.

Light rail's a great tool for them to use in the city of Charlotte.

It's a horrible tool and way too expensive of a tool for someone like us.

We don't have the density to support that.

So because of that, because we're a lower-density community, this application works really well.

- [David] But while the service is showing promise, there is one big problem: funding.

The money traditionally used for buses can't easily be redirected to RIDE.

That's because state and federal transit policies still favor traditional bus systems over these newer solutions.

Wilson's been patching the gaps with one-time grants, but even those are running out.

And without steady funding, service remains limited, leaving night shift workers and Sunday travelers stranded.

So Wilson city leaders are pushing for a funding overhaul.

They're asking state and federal officials to modernize their policies to support innovative transit solutions like RIDE.

- Hopefully we get to a place where people see the value in what we're able to do and the example here, and that, you know, this becomes a more permanent funding solution down the road.

- [David] But behind the money and all the statistics are individuals striving to make a better life.

- We're busy all day.

And some of us drive maybe 12 hours a day, and we are moving those 12 hours.

Some of the customers has been using us ever since it started.

So they are relying on us, you know, to come pick them up.

- [David] Maybe that reliance is the best indicator that it's serving the needs of those in Wilson, and it may just give a glimpse into what rural transit could be.

For "ncIMPACT," I'm David Hurst.