Free rides debut in Houston's Third Ward
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Courtesy of Ryde
A new pilot program aims to close the transportation gap for underserved residents in Third Ward.
Driving the news: Ryde, a Texas-based company with operations in Dallas since 2017, Austin since 2013 and downtown Houston since 2017, debuted June 19 in historic Third Ward, offering point-to-point rides within the neighborhood free of charge.
- The company is using two Gem electric vehicles, which are basically "souped-up golf carts" that top out at 25mph, to haul residents to and from their destinations, according to Ryde co-founder Jesse Landry.
Why it matters: 29% of households in Third Ward do not have a car at their disposal, making it difficult to do things like get to important doctor's appointments or shop for groceries.
Yes, but: The pilot will last only 12 weeks.
- At first, it was scheduled to last four weeks with a grant from Evolve Houston — but District D City Council member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz offered up $25,000 from the district's service fund to extend it another eight weeks.
- Ryde is still searching for additional funding through advertisements or a partnership with the Metropolitan Transit Authority to extend the service past the initial 12 weeks.
How it happened: The Evolve Houston grant was approved this year for Ryde to go into an underserved neighborhood, but the company wasn't initially sure which Houston community to provide service.
- It wasn't until a happenstance meeting in which Landry met a Third Ward advocate, Robert Grobe, during a Ryde pickup in downtown that he selected the neighborhood.
- "After that initial meeting, I knew it was fate that I crossed paths with Rob and where the service needed to be," Landry tells Axios. "Rob [and other community advocates] are just passionate about helping their communities and some of the most giving, selfless people I've met."
How it works: Residents will need to download the Ride Circuit app from the App Store or Google Play to hail a ride.
- From there, they can pick a destination within the neighborhood's boundaries, which is generally bordered by Texas 288, Interstate 45, Brays Bayou and Scott Street.
What they're saying: "We have elderly people with mobility issues," Landry said. "It's something where we can pick them up at their doorstep, take them straight to their destination and eliminate that last mile gap."
What we're watching: The future of the program. Evans-Shabazz tells Axios she hopes it succeeds, in which case she'll consider expanding the service to other parts of her district.
- "I would love to see it expand throughout District D," she says. "Hopefully it will be successful so that I can offer other underserved communities in District D the opportunity to be able to face their transportation challenges."