For those who take public transit in Milpitas, their rides are expected to “dramatically” get better under a new pilot program.

Milpitas plans to spend $1.3 million on an “on-demand” shuttle program to improve public transit for riders by making it more convenient and easier to connect between existing transit services in the city, such as BART and VTA light rail trains.

The city is contracting with RideCo, an Ontario-based consultant, to launch the “micro-transit” program dubbed Milpitas OnDemand.

It’s intended to last 18 months, and will allow people to hail a shuttle ride at nearly 100 “virtual stops” around the city — near spots like community mailboxes, specific intersections, and existing bus stops — “ensuring that no passenger is ever more than a five-minute walk from their nearest virtual stop,” according to a city staff report.
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