Riders in East Patchogue, Bellport, North Bellport, Medford and Yaphank no longer wait at a stop for a bus on a fixed schedule. Suffolk County Transit has launched its South Country On-Demand Zone, which replaces fixed Routes 77 and 77Y with shared rides that pick passengers up where they ask and take them anywhere else inside the zone. The Village of Patchogue announced the change to residents on October 26.

How it works

A rider books a trip in the Suffolk Transit On-Demand app, available for iPhone and Android, or by calling 631-818-2982. Suffolk County Transit says a vehicle typically arrives within about 20 minutes. The app shows where to meet it, which may be a short walk from the address entered, since the vehicle is shared with other riders going the same way.

The service runs every day of the year, holidays included, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

What it costs

Fares and discounts are the same as on the rest of the county bus system. The standard fare is $2.25. A rider leaving the on-demand zone for a fixed-route bus transfers for free, for now: tell the driver when boarding and take a Transfer Ticket. Coming the other way, from a fixed route onto an on-demand ride, costs the $2.25 fare plus a 25-cent transfer, and the rider selects Transfer Ticket as the payment method in the app.

The app takes credit, debit and prepaid cards. Riders who prefer cash can buy Ride Credit vouchers in amounts of $4.50, $18 or $45 at the Hampton Jitney in Southampton, or by mailing a check or money order to the county's H. Lee Dennison Building.

The zone's neighbors

South Country joins the county's two East End on-demand zones: one covering Montauk, East Hampton, Springs and Amagansett, and one covering Southampton, North Sea, North Haven and Sag Harbor. The county's on-demand page also shows proposed zones for Kings Park and Ronkonkoma.

Where to start

Download the Suffolk Transit On-Demand app from the App Store or Google Play, or call 631-818-2982 to book. Full details, including the zone map, are on the Suffolk County Transit On-Demand page. General questions go to the Transit Helpdesk at 631-852-5200, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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