Arlington’s Handitran service could see changes in rates and payment options, removing monthly passes and replacing them with a credit system.
The service offers low-cost rides to Arlington residents who are elderly or disabled. District 7 Council member Bowie Hogg said most rides are for visits to the doctor or the hospital.
The changes aren’t finalized, though, and Arlington leaders want to hear from people who use Handitran at a public hearing on Jan. 6 ahead of a city council vote to approve or deny the changes.
Alicia Winkelblech, the city’s director of transportation, said the rate increase wouldn’t go into effect until March or April, if approved by the council. That way, she said, the city will have plenty of time to communicate the changes to riders.
The change to a credit system would see riders asked to buy bundles of credits in-app to exchange for rides. Winkelblech said the more credits bought, the less they’ll cost per credit.
Currently, Handitran riders pay $2 per person, per ride, or $55 for a 30-day pass with an unlimited number of rides.
The credit system would work similar to many mobile phone games, where users can purchase credits with real-world money and exchange those credits for in-game perks. In this case, the credits would be exchanged for a Handitran ride.
The actual cost per credit wasn’t shared with council at a recent meeting where the possible changes were discussed, but Winkelblech said they could be a better option for folks than paying for a monthly pass.
“We also commonly have residents who may end up in the hospital for a couple weeks or they’re on vacation and they bought a monthly pass and they feel like they’re not getting the value of that pass,” Winkelblech told the council. “While they’re unable to ride the pass is still taking their money, if you will. Whereas if they have a bundle of rides, if they’re not taking those rides they’re not paying anything.”
Using credits could also resolve misunderstandings about how monthly passes work, how long they last and how to renew them, she said.
Hogg said those are good reasons to switch to the bundle of credits rather than a monthly pass but would like to see a monthly fee maximum.
"I think about the subway system in New York, after some time they automatically cap you at a monthly fee on some things," Hogg said.
That program with the New York subway system offers free rides anytime someone pays $34 in fares in a seven-day period. The free rides last for the rest of that period. Hogg's recommendation was to take that same idea and apply it to a monthly maximum.
Handitran has seen its popularity and use increase significantly since 2021, according to a report from the city.
In 2021, the service provided around 97,000 rides. In 2024, it provided more than 140,000.
Because Handitran is intended for people who are elderly or disabled, riders must be approved through an application process. While the number of rides per passenger has stayed roughly the same, the city data shows more users and an increase in the number of applications.
Despite this increase, the number of active riders has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, according to the data.
One major change that has already gone into effect is the way rides are booked. They can still be booked over the phone, but the city has seen the share of rides reserved through the Via app and online reservations climb from around 21% to 41% since the app was introduced as a way to reserve rides.
There have also been fewer no-show or canceled trip reservations since 2023 – the city’s data shows that number dropping from 49% in 2023 to 22% in 2025.
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