The service will operate on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, as well as when RiversEdge has its Thursday evening concerts. The brothers, who are Hamilton graduates, said they’ll also be proactive during special events like festivals. They said they were able to do some work during Operation Pumpkin and the Hamilton Flea this past year.
“Our goal is to engage as much as we can,” Devan Ward, chief operating officer for the business, said. “That’s really what we strive on, to help bring everybody together and grow the city. We want to help promote that, too.”
Planning for LocalMotive has been in the works for the past couple of years with the goal of launching four GEM e6 vehicles. The city has backed the business. City Council in early 2024 okayed a low-interest $90,000 Commercial Revolving Loan Fund, which is through the Hamilton Community Improvement Corporation. That loan was to help the brothers secure three Polaris vehicles.
Dustin Ward, the LocalMotive chief executive officer, said the free rides will be through the downtown Hamilton corridor, and each GEM will hold five passengers. The free service “is all powered with local advertising.” he said, “using all the real estate (on the vehicles) that we can.”
This includes interior and exterior advertising, and on an interactive iPad for riders to learn more about the events and activities in the city of Hamilton.
The service will initially be a flag-down service, where people can hail a vehicle at any point on a designated loop in the Main Street, Champion Mill, German Village and Central Business districts. Plans include incorporating an interactive app where people can request rides, and they said they have had discussions about expanding the service area to reach more businesses in the designated districts.
Local businesses will pay for these rides, and Devan Ward said there are packages for any size business, including some businesses partnering to share higher profile spots.
“We really think we’ve created an all encompassing model,” Devan said. “That’s really how we’re trying to promote from big to small.”
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
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