Buckeye may not need a full metro transit system yet, but it could use an upgrade in public transportation. So, at its regular meeting on Dec. 2, th Buckeye City Council gave the greenlight to begin preparing a micro-transit program providing transport services to select populations.
"The City’s Transit Service that will begin in Spring/Summer 2026 will transport Buckeye residents conveniently and affordably around the city," wrote Public Information Officer Daniel Bronis to InBuckeye. "This service is similar to a Lyft or Uber, where you select a pickup location and destination, but the service will be provided by the city."
John Willett, deputy director of transportation, compared Buckeye's incoming program to the WeRIDE Microtransit systems in Avondale and Goodyear. The vehicles will provide reservable trips from fixed points within the city. For example, a person may book a ride from their home to the senior center and back. Although the program will initially only be offered to older adults ages 60 and older, veterans, individuals with disabilities and those with a low income, Bronis said it will continue to expand to include other populations over time.
Why Micro-transit?
The selection of a micro-transit system for Buckeye was based on the updated City of Buckeye Transit Master Plan. Initially completed in 2016 by the Maricopa Association of Governments, it was revamped for December 2025 by Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, which specializes in transportation and transit planning and development. The 56-page document details existing transit markets and needs, existing transit services, makes future conditions estimations and provides a transit strategy with recommendations, next steps and longer-term opportunities. The full document can be found HERE.
The report included three key recommendations:
- Continue Valley Metro services. Buckeye currently is part of a fixed route express bus, local rural service route and commuter vanpool services offered by Valley Metro, and the document suggested that it continue those offerings to residents. The Buckeye Senior Center also offers transportation for seniors to the center and for medical appointments as available.
- Expand public transportation provided directly by the City of Buckeye.
- Improve transportation coordination within the city's Community Services Department (CSD) by having the coordinator's responsibilities include overseeing transportation and helping residents connect with available resources.
In addition to conducting an analysis and inventory of current resources, Nelson\Nygaar and the city administered resident surveys to create the plan. In the 644 collected surveys, nearly 70% of respondents who were classified as "low-income" reported that they experienced transportation difficulties over the past six months, with 40% reporting these challenges resulted in them missing work, school or a medical appointment, according to the Transit Plan.
The results identified there was a low demand for fixed routes, such as the running bus routes provided by Phoenix Valley Metro that return to the same bus stops each time. At the current stage of Buckeye's growth, micro-transit appears the most appropriate option, said Willett.
“We’re not highly densely populated like New York, but we’re also not 100% rural like Montana,” he said. “We’re kind of a mix of some urban, suburban and some dense rural scattered about rural. So what fits that best is more of the on-demand transit service kind of system. And that’s what we’re looking at bringing on here in the ultimate conditions.”
Next Stop
The micro-transit system will likely beging sometime in the spring or summer of 2026 as a pilot program that will undergo continual evaluation, said Willett. Additionally, the city will coordinate with Valley Metro to request that it continues expanding services to Buckeye. The CSD has already begun building its micro-transit fleet that will ultimately consist of 3-4 vehicles such as 12-passenger minibuses. It has already purchased two Americans with Disabilities Act-approved minivans as the first vehicles to be used in the program.
The CSD additionally hired Shandiz Rashedi as transit coordinator on Oct. 12, a lateral move in the department from his role as senior center programmer.
"With over 15 years of service to Buckeye, his knowledge of the city will be an asset to our transit program," wrote Public Information Officer Daniel Bronis to InBuckeye.
