What if you could catch a ride on public transportation the same way you catch an Uber or Lyft? That’s the promise of microtransit, where residents order public transportation from their phone, rather than wait at a bus stop.

Some cities and towns around the U.S. have begun to embrace the model, including the small city of Wilson, North Carolina, population 49,000. The town, about 55 miles east of Raleigh, took the dramatic step of replacing its bus system with on demand minivans about two years ago, and says it’s been a game changer for residents.

Before, the city had five fixed bus routes that ran once an hour.