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ICTD 2025

Mobility on Demand and as a Service (MODaaS)

Mobility Solutions in Diverse Community Contexts: Suburban and Rural Perspectives

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

Tuesday, June 10, 2025
1:30 PM – 1:45 PM MT
Abstract: 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. The Missouri City zone is 18 square miles with an average daily ridership of just under 300. In order to gain a passenger perspective, data collection was performed through 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 hours 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, the potential for automating the on-demand transit system and relevant considerations are discussed.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees can expect to learn the following from this session:
  • Explain key characteristics of the Houston METRO curb2curb system, its service design, and pros/cons.
  • Explain the different definitions of wait time for ODT systems and how they may be viewed differently by transit agencies, service providers, and customers/riders.
  • Identify key considerations for automating an ODT system such as METRO curb2curb.