Plano ride program logs 315 trips, draws strong senior demand

In Plano, a lack of transportation can quickly become isolation for older adults who need a ride to a doctor’s office, a grocery store or a library. The city’s new Plano Rides program is aiming to close that gap, and its first-week numbers suggest many seniors are already using it.

Plano Rides by Via completed 315 trips in its first week and drew 772 app downloads, an early test of demand for the city’s on-demand transit experiment. The service launched May 4 for Plano residents age 65 and older and is free through June 4. After that, rides are set to cost $1.50 each, or $3 for an unlimited daily pass, with $1 for each additional passenger and free rides for children 5 and younger.

The service is designed as a shared, curb-to-curb option rather than a fixed bus route. Riders can request trips through an app, an online portal or by phone at 972-210-0141. Instead of door-to-door pickup, the system uses nearby corners or virtual bus stops, and it covers destinations across Plano plus a 1.5-mile buffer outside city limits.

That coverage appears to be reaching the places older adults use most. In the first week, the busiest pickup and drop-off points included senior living communities, active adult housing developments, libraries, recreation centers, grocery stores and medical offices. The city has framed that pattern as evidence that transit access is not just about mobility, but about keeping older residents independent and connected to daily life in Plano.

The rollout follows months of transit negotiations between Plano and Dallas Area Rapid Transit. On Feb. 23, the Plano City Council approved a new interlocal agreement with DART, rescinded a planned withdrawal election and signed off on a Via Transportation contract not to exceed $4 million for microtransit service. Under the agreement, DART will return 10% of Plano’s sales tax contributions over six years for transportation-related projects, while Via is operating alongside existing DART service rather than replacing it.

City planning details said the senior program uses a fleet of 22 vehicles, including six wheelchair-accessible vehicles, and operates from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. WFAA reported that the city logged a 98.1% five-star rider rating in the first week. City officials have said the initial rollout is meant to gather ridership data, with future service ideas potentially including circulators in Legacy Business Park and Downtown Plano.