Fare-Free Microtransit Service Begins in Northeast Wake County, NC 2022

• Wake County received a Federal Transit Administration Integrated Mobility Innovation grant to support GoWake SmartRide NE, a microtransit pilot.
• GoWake SmartRide NE offers customers curb-to-curb rides between Rolesville, Wendell, and Zebulon, rural communities in northeast Wake County.
• Customers can request fare-free rides using the Uber mobile app or by calling a hotline.

Wake County is piloting a fare-free microtransit service called GoWake SmartRide NE. For this pilot, customers can request shared curb-to-curb rides in and around the communities of Rolesville, Wendell, and Zebulon in the northeast region of the county. Customers can request rides in real-time by using the Uber app or calling a local hotline and should expect a pick-up window of up to 30 minutes. Uber serves as the booking and routing technology vendor for this pilot. Rides take place in one of three vans that can fit up to 11 passengers. GoWake SmartRide NE operates from 6 AM to 7 PM, Monday through Friday.

Wake County is funding this pilot with a $393,527 Integrated Mobility Innovation grant from the Federal Transit Administration. This pilot can help Wake County, a region with high population growth, determine if:

1. Microtransit is a viable mobility solution in lower density areas and;
2. If customers use this service to connect to and from fixed-route transit.

Last updated May 3, 2022