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Arlington Transit launches a new pilot project to help some county residents get around

Arlington residents have a new way to get around, but only to a portion of the county for now.

Arlington Microtransit — dubbed MICRO — is a public transportation pilot program. It is an on-demand, tech-enabled service booked through a mobile app or by phone, connecting riders with regional transit, local hubs or specific addresses.

Riders for now can only reach areas within a preliminary service area in northwest Arlington, within the boundaries of North Glebe Road, Langston Boulevard and the county line.

That’s an area that includes Virginia Hospital Center, the Westover neighborhood, local schools and a couple of Metro stations.

The county says MICRO was designed to act in part as a replacement for ART —  that were realigned due to steady-but-low ridership.

Via, a public transit contractor, matches riders going in similar directions for shared trips.

The Via app is available in the App Store and Google Play. The MICRO pilot service operates Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday hours are 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Prices are set at $4.50 per ride. The fare is $2.25 for seniors, persons with disabilities, K-12 students or for rides that start or end at the Ballston or East Falls Church Metro stations.

Riders can get six free rides until May 13. More information can be found at city.ridewithvia.com/art.

Arlington says it will use the pilot project to collect and evaluate passenger feedback to tailor microtransit to all of Arlington County. The pilot’s funding from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and Arlington County is expected to last through fiscal year 2027.

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