NewMo, the city sponsored ride-sharing service is now available to everyone in Newton.
Book a daytime ride between any 2 points in Newton for $2. First 5 rides are free for new users, Hours of operation 7AM – 6:30 PM.
For more info or instructions for downloading the app, go here
Can somebody explain this service in greater detail, including where they are getting the drivers and the vehicles, and how much it is expected to cost tax payers?
Have any V14 readers tried NewMo yet?
what was the name of the bus that used to provide $2 transportation in the late 90s-early 0s? I used to take it from Newton South to Town hall for Newton Youth Action Committee meetings and im blanking on the name!
Is this service operating at a loss, funded by a one-time grant?
Curious how long term they can keep this price.
My dad used Newmo with great success during the pandemic to get to NWH and other health facilities. I have the same question about funding and CORI checks.
The NewMo info page ( https://www.newtonma.gov/government/planning/transportation-planning/newmo ) answers many of the questions asked here.
* Drivers are CORI checked.NewMo is hiring drivers if you are interested.
* Funding is through the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)’s Community Connections grant. The MPO is very interested in experiments like this one that can help guide the future of transit in the Boston metro area.
* It’s not clear if rates will go up when the startup funds end. There are other funding mechanisms, and the NewMo door-to-door model has the potential to be far more of a benefit to Newton than a traditional bus like the old Newton Nexus bus.
* The contractor for NewMo is Via, an international transportation logistics and mobility company ( https://ridewithvia.com/ ).They offer a variety of transportation services for cities across the world, including tracking for New York City’s school buses.
* NewMo rides are $2 ($0.50 for qualifying low-income residents), but businesses / organizations / events can subsidize rides to their location. That’s all possible because of Via’s software infrastructure.
* Riders must be 13 or older. This means that NewMo is a realistic option for high school (and some middle school) after school transportation.
I’m really rooting for NewMo. It’s like an affordable local ride share (like Lyft or Uber) that also completes the “last mile” between transit nodes, residences, and businesses. Its use of the ‘net and cell phone apps makes the whole thing work; it simply wouldn’t have been possible even ten years ago.
@Jerry — I used NewMo not long after it started up. I had an ophthalmologist appointment at the Wellesley HCHP branch that involved dilating my pupils, so I couldn’t drive. The wait for the return trip wasn’t a lot of fun, but that was because I was (obviously) very sensitive to light. All in all, it was a worthwhile investment of time and money.