Winkelblech. “People aren’t likely to drive to a bus stop just to take a bus, but they will use a service that picks them up closer to home.” Arlington has successfully bridged the private and public transit gap by offering on-demand rideshare services instead of fixed bus routes. “When you let riders dictate their schedules, rather than forcing them to conform to rigid timetables, you increase comfort and convenience,” Winkelblech explains. As a result, the city has seen significant organic growth in ridership without needing aggressive marketing campaigns. SUSTAINABILITY AND FINANCIAL VIABILITY Sustainability remains a key pillar of Arlington’s transportation initiatives. “We’ve reached a point where our core services—the rideshare program and Handitran—are financially sustainable,” Winkelblech states. “They are partially funded through federal transit grants, with the remainder covered by city funds already built into our base budget.” However, newer, more experimental projects present financial challenges. “We often launch grantfunded pilot programs, but if those programs can’t demonstrate financial viability post-grant, they aren’t 134 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 04
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