The Denton County Transportation Authority approved an additional year of service with GoZone, a ride share program from company Via, during Thursday morning’s Board of Directors meeting.
The contract cost will increase from last year’s $10.4 million to $11.3 million.
DCTA CEO Paul Cristina said in an email before Thursday’s meeting that there were several factors that caused the increase, including the organization’s Intermediate Service Plan and higher hourly pay.
The Intermediate Service Plan went into effect earlier this year and saw a major shift for public transportation in Denton and the surrounding cities, including GoZone vehicles being relocated from the city of Denton to service Lewisville and Highland Village, along with adding more bus stops and bus routes in Denton.
DCTA has to pay $42.95 for each GoZone vehicle hour, up from $42.11 last year, according to the agenda memo. The operational costs will amount to about $10.7 million, which is up from last year’s $9.8 million.
The customer service portion of the contract is split into two six-month periods. Each period will amount to $293,550 for a total cost of $587,100, according to the agenda memo.
The customer service portion of last year’s contract was also split into two six-month periods. According to the agenda memo, each period cost $283,500, for a total cost of $567,000.
“Overall, we anticipate these changes will enhance customer experience across the network and enable DCTA to move more customers in a more cost-effective manner,” Cristina wrote.
DCTA has partnered with Via since 2021 and was entering the final term of the two one-year extensions for contract agreements, which was set to expire Sept. 30.
Staffers recommended an extension through Sept. 30, 2025, according to an agenda memo.
The contract will be re-solicited for a new award, offering the opportunity to consider other interested firms in next year’s budget cycle for service in 2026.