Houston Metro riders will begin paying a fare for its on-demand electric shuttle service, which has been free for the last three years during the program’s pilot phase.
The agency will charge for the Community Connector on-demand microtransit service as it integrates the program with the rest of its transit system, a Metro announcement states. It [started] charging riders Sept. 28.
The fare will be $1.25 in service zones, including downtown, the Heights, Near Northside, Second Ward and Third Ward. The service will continue to operate Monday through Friday but with expanded operating hours: from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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Metro Board Chair Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock discussed a possible fare placed on the electric shuttle service last year, ABC13 reported in 2025. The service’s ridership increased nearly 64% from a year earlier, according to the 2027 Metro budget draft.
The service offers other vehicles, including ADA wheelchair-accessible minivans. Metro will install new fare-payment devices, according to the announcement. When drivers pay for the electric shuttle fare, they will receive free transfers to other Metro services.
See here and here for some background. Ridership may be up – I still see little evidence of these things being used in our neighborhood – but the absolute totals remain low. Color me skeptical that imposing a fare will help with that, though perhaps it will at least mitigate the finances. As far as that goes, Metro will avoid service cuts for the year, which is good and a pleasant surprise. Anyone out there used one of these yet? If so, what did you think?