Skipper microtransit service debuts in SouthPark
November 13, 2024
With a simple tap on their smartphone, SouthPark visitors can park once and easily catch a ride from point A to point B this holiday season.
By David Mildenberg
Starting Friday, SouthPark Community Partners is launching the state’s first privately sponsored microtransit service for people wanting to get around the southeast Charlotte business district.
The on-demand concierge-style SouthPark Skipper service will offer free rides in smallish electric vehicles from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. during a one-year pilot program. An app service for users was unveiled this week, just ahead of the area’s second annual Holiday Hop (Nov. 29-Dec. 31), which will feature art installations and deals at merchants and restaurants.
Often considered the city’s second “downtown,” SouthPark has about 1,000 employers, 32,000 workers and about 6,500 residents of condos and apartments in a roughly 1 square mile area. The area 6 miles south of uptown developed when owners of the Ivey and Belk department store chain opened the large regional mall in 1970. The mall is now owned by Simon Property Group, while the area continues to expand as a major office and entertainment district.
Organizers expect the key users will be residents, workers and guests at SouthPark’s 11 hotels.
The nonprofit partnership is financing the effort, backed by taxes levied on property owners in the municipal service district. The Charlotte Area Transit System, which operates bus and light rail service throughout Mecklenburg County, is not involved financially or operationally, CATS is helping market the program.
The SouthPark Skipper will be provided by Miami-based Freebee, which offers similar service in many Florida cities.
On-demand programs are gaining popularity nationally as city planners aim to reduce congestion and the environmental effects of cars and trucks. But SouthPark is unusual because it doesn’t have any light rail or streetcar service or an adjoining interstate highway, notes Adam Rhew, CEO of SouthPark Community Partners.
Rhew declined to share projections for usage, noting that organizers will learn as the service rolls out, then make adjustments. “We’re excited for the opportunity to learn from this innovation and figure out how lessons can be applied across the city, region and state.” – SP
