Bank branches are not destinations. Like Starbucks and cell phone shops, they rely on capturing your day-to-day custom when you’re out and about. In the U.S., that mostly means being maximally accessible by cars. (In Japan, and other places with different transit behavior, bank branches are among the most likely user for large parcels directly adjacent to hub train stations, with smaller light branches and ATM-only locations being deployed close to far-from-station workplaces.)

Bringing Bridj to Kansas City seemed like a no-brainer to transit officials. For just $1.50, anyone could use an app to summon a ride downtown in van that would follow a route calculated on the fly by an algorithm. No one within the service area was ever more than a 10 minute walk from a stop, and as an added incentive, your first 10 rides were free.

Once you pay for 12 full MiWay fares during any one-week (Monday to Sunday) using your PRESTO card, you can then ride free on MiWay for the remainder of that week!

Sad but true: Not all officials who make decisions about public transit actually use public transit.

(Crazy app uptake + riding data + math wizardry = many surprises in store.)