What's Happening in Gastonia, NC…

Gastonia is introducing GoGastonia, a new rideshare service that will bring micro-transit on demand to residents.

GoGastonia will offer a more accessible and efficient experience in traveling, particularly for those who may have found that fixed bus routes limit their travel. Via will be operating GoGastonia as a partnership. Via is a company that specializes in on-demand public mobility solutions.

To use the service, the GoGastonia app can be used, or people can call a dedicated number. This will enable people to be grouped into rides into one shared vehicle. Fares will be $2.00 for a one-way trip with discounts for seniors and the disabled. Small children accompanied by adults will ride for free.

The service will be available from 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday with limited hours on Saturday. The service will not run on most major federal holidays. Flyer printing can be used to provide more details on how such services operate, their hours, and fares.

Mayor Richard Franks said the city saw this need to provide on demand micro-transit to follow the growth in the city. He added that this will replace the six fixed-route bus systems that are now in place with a flexible and fresh alternative to the approximately 144,000 trips that are taken each year within the transit system of the city.