For more than a decade, one idea has shaped how we approach the work in New Hanover County: if you make disciplined, strategic investments – and back them with data – you can move a community forward in real ways.

That’s what we’re doing with infrastructure. And public transportation is a cornerstone.

Public transportation connects people to jobs, health care, education, and the services that shape everyday life. If access isn’t there, opportunity isn’t either. The two go hand in hand.

This work matters to me as county manager, and also in my role as chair of the Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority, also known as Wave. It’s a responsibility I take seriously, because done right, public transportation isn’t just a service – it’s a system that has to work in real-world conditions across a growing community.

In January 2025, Wave implemented one of the most significant system changes our region has seen. Eight of nine bus routes were redesigned, and two new routes were added. That didn’t happen overnight. It was the result of years of analysis, planning, and a willingness to rethink how the system should work.

That redesign also built on something we had already learned. Fixed routes alone won’t meet every need, especially in lower-density or harder-to-reach areas in unincorporated New Hanover County. That’s where RideMicro has become essential. It’s been in place for several years, and it gives the system flexibility – point-to-point service that extends reach, fills area gaps, and connects people into the broader network. The current system works better because both pieces are working together.

It also required commitment.

Over the past two fiscal years, the Board of Commissioners increased the county’s operating support for Wave. That investment, combined with a system designed to use both fixed routes and on-demand service effectively, created the foundation for something stronger than what we had before.

Now we’re seeing the early results.

From January through December 2025, fixed-route ridership increased 10.5 percent year over year. RideMicro, our on-demand, point-to-point service, grew by 32.4 percent across its service zones. That kind of growth reflects a system that is more reliable, more direct, and easier for people to use in their daily lives.

Those numbers matter on their own. But they matter more in context.

Nationally, in communities our size, public transportation ridership has grown by about 3.5 percent. Here, we’re well ahead of that pace. That tells us something important: the changes we made are working.

That doesn’t mean the work is done.

Transit systems are never static. We’ll keep refining routes and service based on how people are actually using the system – strengthening connections between RideMicro and fixed routes and aligning service with where growth is occurring across the county. That work will continue to inform our decisions, including as we develop the FY 2026–2027 county budget.

This progress is also a reminder that these outcomes don’t happen without leadership.

The Board of Commissioners made a deliberate decision to invest at a moment when it mattered. The City of Wilmington has been our strong partner. And Wave’s staff, led by Executive Director Mark Hairr, have done the hard work of turning a plan into something people can rely on.

We set out to build a system that better connects our community.

The early results tell us we’re on the right track. There’s more to do, but this is what progress looks like – clear priorities, sustained investment, and an organization built to execute.

For more information on routes, schedules and more, I’d encourage you to visit WaveTransit.com.