Insights into On-Demand Transit: A Case Study of the Houston METRO's curb2curb Transit Services

As modern on-demand transit (ODT) deployments increase, the insights gained from studying real-world systems prove more useful. In this study, a shared ODT system called "METRO curb2curb" in the suburbs of Houston, Texas, was studied, with a particular focus on the Missouri City zone, which has the highest ridership out of the four total zones in which the system operates. The Missouri City zone spans 18 square miles with an average daily ridership of nearly 400 as of November 2024. In order to gain a passenger perspective, data collection was performed by using the ODT system first-hand, completing 50 rides in March and April of 2023. These rides included a mix of three different types of on-demand travel accommodations: (1) advance bookings (30 min-2 h ahead), (2) as-soon-as-possible/real-time dispatch bookings, and (3) no-reservation trips at two designated "anchor points." Wait and travel time were collected for each ride. Anecdotal findings related to ease of locating the driver/vehicle, the process of booking a ride, and popular trip purposes were also documented. This study provides an overview of the METRO curb2curb system, including its history, service provider, service area, ridership, booking options, wait time, and travel time. Intricacies related to different definitions of wait time are included. Finally, relevant considerations for automating the on-demand transit system are discussed.