Startran
StarTran is Lincoln, Nebraska's municipal public transit agency, providing fixed-route bus service, on-demand VanLNK shared rides, ADA paratransit, and real-time tracking via the RideLNK app to city residents, youth, and low-income riders.
- Company typePublic
- Founded-
- Headquarters—
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Startran does
StarTran is the public transit agency of the City of Lincoln, Nebraska, operating under the City's Transportation and Utilities department. The agency delivers fixed-route bus service across Lincoln (Monday–Friday 5:40 a.m. to 9:50 p.m.; Saturday 6:40 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.), an on-demand shared-ride service branded VanLNK, and ADA-compliant Paratransit for riders unable to use fixed routes. Specialized fare products include the StarPass summer youth bus pass (ages 5–18) and a Low Income Bus Pass for income-qualified residents.
The agency's digital layer is built around the RideLNK Bus Tracker, which provides real-time GPS-based bus location, arrival-time predictions, text-alert requests, and trip planning. Mobile ticketing is delivered through Token Transit, a third-party app that lets riders purchase and store digital passes. A Multi-modal Transportation Center (MMTC) is being developed to consolidate multiple transit modes into a single hub aimed at improving efficiency, safety, and inclusivity. Marketing is conducted through the City of Lincoln's website, social channels (Facebook, X, Instagram), and the LNKTV City YouTube channel.
StarTran is a government state entity — not a private company — and revenue is not publicly disclosed in the manner of a commercial enterprise. Operations are funded through a combination of passenger fares, advertising revenue, and City/State/Federal government allocations. There are no venture investors, no parent company other than the City of Lincoln, and no subsidiaries. Leadership includes Carla Cosier as Assistant Director of Transit, with governance from a StarTran Advisory Board.
Startran firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Startran
- Legal name
- City of Lincoln – StarTran Transit Department
- Website
- https://startran.lincoln.ne.gov
- Company type
- Public
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- StarTran is Lincoln, Nebraska's municipal public transit agency, providing fixed-route bus service, on-demand VanLNK shared rides, ADA paratransit, and real-time tracking via the RideLNK app to city residents, youth, and low-income riders.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Startran industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Transit Services
- NAICS
- Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (485), Special Needs Transportation (485991)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- On-Demand Shared Shuttle / Vanpool (Dynamic Routing, Door-to-Door) (TLAFAJAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- On-Demand Microtransit & Vanpool (App-Dispatched Shuttles) (THAIAGAF), First/Last-Mile Connector DRT to Transit Hubs (THAIAHAH)
Keywords
Startran business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Startran product offering
Product offeringCore offering
StarTran is the public bus transit system of the City of Lincoln, Nebraska, providing fixed-route bus service, on-demand VanLNK shared ride service, and ADA-compliant paratransit service. It supplements physical transit with digital tools including the RideLNK real-time bus tracking app and the Token Transit mobile ticketing app, and offers specialized fare products such as the StarPass Summer Youth Bus Pass and the Low Income Bus Pass.
Product overview
StarTran is the public bus transit system operated by the City of Lincoln, Nebraska's Transportation and Utilities department. The core offering is fixed-route bus service supplemented by on-demand VanLNK shared ride service and Paratransit for accessibility. Digital services include the RideLNK Bus Tracker app for real-time tracking and Token-Transit for mobile pass purchasing. Specialized fare products include the StarPass Summer Youth Bus Pass and Low Income Bus Pass. The Multi-modal Transportation Center (MMTC) project represents a major infrastructure investment to modernize and consolidate transit operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RideLNK Bus Tracker: Mobile application providing real-time data on bus locations and arrival times, text alert requests, and trip planning functionality.
- VanLNK
- StarPass
Products and services
- StarTran Fixed-Route Bus Service Fixed-route public bus transit service operating Monday through Friday 5:40 a.m. to 9:50 p.m. and Saturday 6:40 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., providing transportation throughout Lincoln, Nebraska.
- VanLNK On-Demand Shared Ride Service On-demand shared ride service providing flexible transportation options beyond fixed bus routes for Lincoln, NE riders.
- StarTran Paratransit Service Accessible transit service for ADA-eligible passengers with disabilities who are unable to use the regular fixed-route bus service in Lincoln, NE.
- RideLNK Bus Tracker Real-time bus tracking mobile application providing live data on bus locations and arrival times, text alert requests, and trip planning with route selection for StarTran riders.
- Token Transit Mobile Ticketing Mobile application enabling StarTran riders to purchase and store digital bus passes directly on their mobile devices.
- StarPass Summer Youth Bus Pass Summer youth bus pass program offering unlimited rides on StarTran buses and special discounts from participating sponsors for youth ages 5-18.
- Low Income Bus Pass Discounted bus pass program designed for low-income residents to provide affordable access to public transit in Lincoln, NE.
Companies that use Startran
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Startran technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Startran partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Startran competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wichita Transit: Wichita Transit provides fixed-route bus service and paratransit in a mid-size Plains metro with similar population scale to Lincoln. Direct structural peer for benchmarking urban transit operations.
- Madison Metro Transit: Madison Metro operates fixed-route bus service and paratransit (Metro Lift) in a similar mid-size Midwest college/employment-driven city. Comparable rider profile, fare structure, and equity-focused service priorities.
- Omaha Metro (Metro Transit): Omaha Metro operates fixed-route transit, paratransit (MOBY), and on-demand services in Nebraska's other major metro. It is the most direct peer to StarTran given similar service mix, paratransit offering, and shared statewide funding context.
- Spokane Transit Authority (STA): STA operates fixed-route buses, paratransit (Paratransit Van Service), and on-demand services across the Spokane metro. Comparable mid-size municipal transit authority with parallel service tiers.
- Fort Collins Transfort: Transfort operates fixed-route buses, paratransit (Dial-A-Ride), and an on-demand service (MAX) in Fort Collins, CO. Comparable mid-size city transit model with multi-modal and microtransit elements.
- Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD): Champaign-Urbana MTD operates fixed-route bus service, ADA paratransit, and a robust microtransit/safe-rides program. Comparable mid-size university-area transit authority with strong equity and student-focused services.
- Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART): DART operates fixed-route bus, paratransit (DART On Demand), and rideshare services across the Des Moines metro. Comparable mid-size Midwest urban transit agency with a parallel multi-modal structure.
- Iowa City Transit: Iowa City Transit runs fixed-route bus service and paratransit serving a university-anchored mid-size Iowa city. Comparable in scale and student/youth rider mix similar to StarTran's StarPass program.
Broad incumbents
- Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA): KCATA runs the Kansas City region's fixed-route bus network, RideKC paratransit, and on-demand microtransit (RideKC Freedom). Larger scale than StarTran but directly comparable in service architecture.
Regional players
- Sioux City Transit: Sioux City Transit operates fixed-route and paratransit in a smaller Iowa/Nebraska border metro. Smaller-scale but adjacent geographic peer sharing regional riders and grant funding pools.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Startran social profiles
Digital presenceStartran financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Startran leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Startran funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Startran M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Startran
What does Startran do?
StarTran is the public bus transit system of the City of Lincoln, Nebraska, providing fixed-route bus service, on-demand VanLNK shared ride service, and ADA-compliant paratransit service. It supplements physical transit with digital tools including the RideLNK real-time bus tracking app and the Token Transit mobile ticketing app, and offers specialized fare products such as the StarPass Summer Youth Bus Pass and the Low Income Bus Pass.
Is Startran a public or private company?
Startran is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Startran founded?
Startran was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Who are Startran's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wichita Transit, Madison Metro Transit, Omaha Metro (Metro Transit), Spokane Transit Authority (STA), Fort Collins Transfort, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD), Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) and Iowa City Transit. Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) is listed as a broad incumbent. Sioux City Transit is listed as a regional player.
Does Startran have an API?
No public API is recorded for Startran.
What industry is Startran in?
Startran's product category is Public Transit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFAJAB, On-Demand Shared Shuttle / Vanpool (Dynamic Routing, Door-to-Door), with a secondary code of THAIAGAF, On-Demand Microtransit & Vanpool (App-Dispatched Shuttles). Its NAICS code is 485113 and its SIC code is 4100.