Microtransit
Many of our neighbors in Lexington face significant transportation obstacles: half do not live within walking distance to a bus stop, and one-third do not have a personal vehicle.
Our house meeting stories highlighted the severe consequences of inadequate transportation. We heard stories of missed medical appointments, difficulties in accessing employment opportunities, and the isolation experienced by those unable to travel easily.
The lack of reliable transportation options affects every aspect of daily life, from grocery shopping to attending school and participating in community activities.
The good news is that there are solutions to these problems, and in November of 2021, BUILD voted to do what BUILD does best: research a solution and build enough people power to win that solution for our community.
The solution we found is microtransit, a flexible, on-demand transportation service that can bridge the gap between traditional public transit and personal vehicles. Microtransit typically uses smaller vehicles and dynamic routing to offer a more personalized transit experience, making it an ideal option for areas with lower population densities or where fixed-route bus services are not feasible.
In April 2024, BUILD won a microtransit feasibility study. In 2025, when the study showed the program was feasible for Lexington, BUILD won a pilot project that will serve over 20,000 residents in Northwest Lexington, an especially underserved area. Lextran and LFUCG have committed $1.2 million to run the pilot, which should begin operating late in 2026. This win means affordable transportation for many of our residents who can't afford a car and can't access a bus route. BUILD is currently monitoring the progress of the pilot.