Transportation Startup Beta Tests in Square

Cambridge-based transportation company Bridj recently completed a week of beta testing that took passengers from Coolidge Corner to Harvard Square, among other routes, and is hoping to more formally establish its innovative busing system here, even as it faces legal obstacles.

Founded by Middlebury College alumnus Matthew George, Bridj is a smart transit system that uses data to produce flexible bus routes. The startup is currently in its beta phase, offering six fixed routes to consumers for fares of $1 to $3.

“The concept is essentially an everyday living, learning, breathing transportation system that connects to make smarter cities,” said Bridj marketing manager Ryan Kelly.

As a middle ground between public and private transportation, Bridj fills the gap in the current transportation system and offers a more cost-effective form of transit, according to Kelly.

“We want to solve that problem and create a more flexible transportation system, conforming to meet your needs instead of you as a consumer having to conform to it,” Kelly said.

The company is using its beta period to monitor transit patterns, so the permanence of future Bridj routes is yet to be determined, Kelly said. Each Bridj vehicle will contain about 13 or more seats and complimentary WiFi. For $3 to $5, customers are guaranteed a reserved seat on a “smart route with fewer stops,” Kelly said.

With a jitney license to operate transportation services from the City of Boston and a temporary permit from Brookline, Bridj is still awaiting approval for a license from Cambridge. An Aug. 20 municipal memorandum, released after Bridj submitted the jitney application, imposed restrictions on the startup, preventing Bridj from using many of its proposed bus stops.

“Cambridge has been more of a challenge, but we think we will be able to work with the city,” said Kelly. “The relationship is ongoing but we are working with them to provide better transportation. Everyone is trying to do best thing for the city…now we’re just waiting to hear back from Cambridge.”

Though some see Bridj as a competitor for established public transportation options, MBTA spokesperson Kelly Smith wrote in an email that the MBTA supports efforts that promote the use of mass transit.

“The MBTA is pleased that their service will make it easier for people to make connections with the MBTA’s rapid transit system. It’s not a competitive situation at all, as their fares are more in line with taxi cab fares,” Smith wrote.

Smith added that the MBTA does not own its bus stops and that it is up to municipalities to determine who may use them.

Though he does not see it replacing the MBTA, Cambridge City Councillor Nadeem A. Mazen said that he has heard many positive things about Bridj.

“Everybody is talking about how market solutions need to bring efficiency to transit and how with the advent of Zipcar and even more basic ridesharing services, it’s only natural that Bridj is bringing an effective solution where the public sector is ailing a little bit,” Mazen said.

Others push back on such a comparison. Jose A. Gomez-Ibanez, a professor of urban planning and public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, said that although he was impressed by the impact that Uber and other ride-sharing services have had, he’s still skeptical of Bridj’s unproven model.

“I think the success is ultimately going to depend on the density of the ridership that they get,” Gomez-Ibanez said. “The MBTA is infrequent and not always reliable, so in that sense [the MBTA is] vulnerable to competition, but on the other hand they charge you a buck and half for a ride and if they stick to their schedule they’re usually a pretty good deal.”

Bridj is currently considering neighborhoods for its future expansion and asking consumers to vote on which stops they would like to see incorporated into the bus routes. Among the locations are Union Square, Central Square, and at least seven other popular destinations.

—Staff writer Ivan B. K. Levingston can be reached at Ivan.Levingston@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @IvanLevingston.

—Staff writer Celeste M. Mendoza can be reached at Celeste.Mendoza@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @CelesteMMendoza.