LeeTran begins on-demand service in Lehigh Acres on Thursday

Have somewhere to go but don’t want to wait at the bus stop or pay a lot of money on a rideshare app? If you live in Lehigh Acres, LeeTran’s ULTRA On-Demand Transit service launches Thursday morning, offering door-to-door service for less than $2.

Lee County tried out ULTRA in Bonita Springs. It worked well there, so now the service is expanding. It’s akin to LeeTran’s version of Uber. Riders will even use the Uber app to schedule their ride, or they can call LeeTran directly to make their ride requests.

Once a request is made, ULTRA On-Demand Transit will come to get you in a multi-person vehicle and take you anywhere you want to go within a defined service area. The new fleet of vehicles is smaller and more accessible for residential neighborhoods and narrow roads.

“We’re going to their door, so it not only helps the individual, [it] helps our economy as a whole,” said Robert Codie, Lee County’s transit director. “So now, people not only have access to transportation, they have access to employment, they have access to resources to better benefit not only their household but our community as a whole.”

Ridesharing apps are very popular, and the community says this public transportation option will be safer and more convenient.

“I think it would be really cool to have a bus come directly to your house instead of people walking in the street because I feel like that’s really dangerous,” said Lehigh Acres resident Mia Garcia.

“I think, especially older folks like I am… I’m 80, and the day will come when I can’t drive a car anymore, but I still have to go somewhere shopping,” said fellow resident Daniel Schlei.

Lee-Tran’s on-demand service is available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Rides will only cost $1.50 during the pilot phase.