The price per ride for Arlington’s Handitran and On-Demand services is going up after the council voted 8-1 Tuesday to approve a fare increase.
Handitran offers low-cost rides to Arlington residents who are elderly or disabled while Arlington On-Demand, previously known as Arlington Via, acts as the city’s version of public transit with fares for rides subsidized by the city.
The change, which goes into effect March 2, will see Handitran rides increase from $2 to $3 and the maximum price of an On-Demand ride go up to $8 from $5. The minimum price for an On-Demand ride will stay the same at $3.
Council member Nikkie Hunter, who represents District 3, was the sole vote against the increase.
Arlington city staff told the council the move is necessary as costs increase. The programs are subsidized by a mix of city money and federal grant funding.
The vote came after several people, many of whom said they use Handitran, asked the council to reject the increases.
They told the council that, especially on a fixed income, it is difficult to keep up with price increases. Since the service is largely used to make medical trips, some expressed concerns that elderly residents would miss appointments and see declining health because of the increase.
Others spoke in favor of the increase, saying they know prices are going up across the board and the increase isn’t too dramatic.
The decision by council also ends a monthly pass for Handitran, which offered unlimited rides for $55 a month. The weekly pass for On-Demand, which allowed four rides each day for $25 a week, will also end.
That comes with a change in the way fees will be collected. Instead of paying for each ride individually, Arlington’s Director of Transportation Alicia Winkelblech said the city will transition to a credit system.
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.
For $25, an On-Demand or Handitran user will get $30 worth of credits. For $45 they’ll get $60 of credits and $65 will buy $90 worth of credits.
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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