How an Uber Copycat Can Fill the Transit Gap in Rural Nebraska

For those without cars in the western panhandle of Nebraska, grocery shopping or visiting the doctor can become an hours-long ordeal. It takes careful planning: You have to call a few days ahead to arrange for a bus to pick you up, for example. Said bus might arrive at your door an hour or so before your appointment, and drop off multiple passengers before finally arriving at your destination.

“After your appointment, you might need to wait half an hour to two hours before you can get home,” says Valerie Lefler, who heads Liberty, a company born out of the U.S. DOT Small Business Innovation Research program that seeks to improve transportation access in the region. “If your doctor is running late, you may need to make your own arrangements.”