Growing demand puts pressure on Johnston County transit

JCATS hopes to soon expand QuickRide, its ride-hailing service, to Clayton and Flowers.

SMITHFIELD — As the 2025-26 fiscal year wound down, Johnston County’s public transit agency began rationing rides for the elderly and disabled.

“In June, we started running out of funding for our elderly and disabled transportation,” Josh Jensen, director of the Johnston County Area Transit System, told County Commissioners last month.

That forced JCATS to meet the most critical needs first. “If a person was on dialysis, obviously we were going to give them a ride,” Jensen said.

Demand for public transportation is growing among Johnston County’s elderly and disabled, Jensen said, explaining how JCATS ran out of those dollars. “We get new calls every day for people wanting a ride to an appointment,” he said.

A new fiscal year has brought renewed funding. “But as the growth of this county escalates, we’re going to keep an eye on those numbers,” Jensen said.

In Johnston, funding for elderly and disabled transportation comes from the federal government, the County, and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, or CAMPO for short. 

CAMPO, Jensen said, has announced an additional round of funding. “I’m hoping that we’re eligible,” he said.

Expanding QuickRide?

Jensen said he hoped to expand QuickRide, the public ride-hailing service, to Clayton and nearby Flowers. But that’s easier said than done, he said.

While federal dollars are available for expansion, “JCATS, as we are currently structured as an organization, cannot directly pull down federal monies,” Jensen said.

Instead, JCATS will need a little help to expand QuickRide. “We’re going to be working with the City of Raleigh for them to pull the money down on our behalf until we can figure out a way to control the money ourselves,” Jensen said. “And that may be something like becoming a transportation authority like the airport.”

But that won’t happen overnight. “A lot of work has to be done before that even becomes a thought,” Jensen said.

QuickRide, now operating in Selma and Smithfield, is a popular service, Jensen said. “We’re on track to reach that 17,000 ride threshold just in Smithfield and Selma with the five mini-buses you see running around,” he said. “The fares from those rides and the support of the County really make that a success.”

Most passengers use QuickRide to get to and from work, Jensen said. “Of those 17,000 or so rides, 58% are bringing people to and from work,” he said, “so you are helping the economy in this community.”

An emergency shelter

Jensen said the JCATS headquarters in Selma now has a generator capable of powering the whole building. “So working with the Health Department, we now have the ability to use JCATS as a special-needs shelter in an emergency,” he said.

Page last updated on:  August 18, 2026