About OpenTransit Lab

OpenTransit Lab (formerly OpenRide) is an open-source platform run by a nonprofit. It exists so that public on-demand transit can be planned on open data, run on software the public owns, and funded in a way everyone can see.

The model

• The Planner is free for everyone.
• City OS (a light layer over an existing operator) is expected to serve about 80% of adopters; the full platform about 20%.
• Flat operating fees for larger deployments, never a per-ride commission. Small organizations pay $0 because the software is open source.
• Default funding split of 20% rider fares, 30% foundation and community money, and 50% city co-pay. City money mainly covers vehicle leasing, drivers and insurance.
• 2030 goal: 100 or more entities running on OpenTransit, with better mobility and lower overall city transit spending.

Who we learn from

Namma Yatri (open, zero-commission ride-hail), Empower (driver-owned ride-hail), and the Signal Foundation (open-source software run by a nonprofit) show different parts of the model. Proprietary planning-data platforms such as Replica show what cities value in planning data; the Planner is an open alternative built on public sources. Ecosystem partners include New America and Startups USA (Center for American Entrepreneurship).

Data honesty

Every real-world figure on this site carries a source, an as-of date, a confidence level and a VERIFY flag until a person has checked it. Demo cities use illustrative zones, funders and costs, and simulated trips. Planner outputs are modeled estimates, not observed data.