StarTran announces new company to provide gameday shuttles — iPronto to replace the Big Red Express
After 45 years of the Big Red Express, the City of Lincoln hands Husker gameday shuttles to a private operator — and Pronto extends service to five more Nebraska cities.
The City of Lincoln announced that a private charter service would replace StarTran’s Big Red Express Husker gameday shuttles to UNL City Campus beginning in September, and that Pronto Corporation would also extend gameday service to the Omaha, Kearney, Grand Island, Norfolk and Columbus areas.
StarTran had operated the Big Red Express since the early 1980s and did not run it during the 2026 season. The City notes that federal charter service regulations prohibit federally funded transit agencies from competing with private charter companies, and that 2026 was the first year a private company chose to offer the shuttle service in Lincoln.
Routes and pick-up locations — unchanged
- Northwest 49th and Holdrege streets — Lincoln Northwest High School
- North 33rd Street and Fletcher Avenue — Lincoln North Star High School
- South 27th Street and Pine Lake Road — Southpointe Mall
- 61st and “O” streets — Gateway Mall
Fares as announced
- $10 — Lincoln, inbound only
- $25 — Lincoln round trip, delayed return
- $30 — Lincoln round trip, immediate return
- $59–$89 — intercity round trip: Omaha, Kearney/Grand Island, Norfolk/Columbus
Reservations are made in advance directly with Pronto. “We are proud to have offered the Big Red Express to Husker fans for more than 45 years,” said Liz Elliott, Director of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities. “Today, there is an opportunity to begin a new tradition.”
Read the City of Lincoln announcement ↗
Pronto Corporation selected by SMCCD for districtwide charter transportation services
The District has executed a Charter Transportation Services Agreement with Accelar, Inc. dba Pronto Corporation covering College of San Mateo, Skyline College and Cañada College.
San Mateo County Community College District issued RFP 87010 for Charter Bus Transportation Services on 12 February 2026. Pronto Corporation submitted a proposal in response and was selected by the District; the award was approved by action of the Board of Trustees on 20 May 2026. The agreement was fully executed on 6 August 2026 and is recorded as Agreement No. 1385852.
The term runs 1 July 2026 through 30 June 2027 and may be renewed, provided the original term plus renewals does not exceed five years.
What the agreement covers
- Districtwide charter transportation on an as-needed basis
- Athletics, physical education, performing arts, field trips, excursions, community tours and District events
- Single-day, multi-day and overnight trips, inside and outside California
- Vehicles from under 24 passengers up to 57 and above
- Primary pickup at College of San Mateo, Skyline College and Cañada College, and anywhere else the District designates
What Pronto committed to
- All-inclusive pricing — gratuities, fuel, permits, tolls, bridge fees and road usage charges are in the quoted figure, with no surcharge without the District's prior written approval
- Every vehicle ADA compliant to U.S. DOT specification, 49 CFR Parts 37 and 38
- A public address system and a working restroom on request at no additional cost
- Drivers holding a Commercial Class B licence and Charter Bus Driver's Certificate, and CHP-certified SPAB vehicles and SPAB-certificated drivers on any trip carrying minors
- An FMCSA safety rating of “Satisfactory” maintained throughout the term
- A replacement vehicle dispatched within one hour of a breakdown
- A Section 508 accessibility warranty on the products and services provided
Based in the county we serve
Pronto operates its own fleet in the San Francisco Bay Area and dispatches from a yard in Millbrae — inside San Mateo County, under thirty minutes from all three colleges. That proximity is the difference between a bus that is already nearby and one that has to be sent for.
Behind the local fleet sits the affiliate network: 340+ affiliate operators within 25 miles of the District , 2,000+ across California and 4,794 nationwide. It means a short-notice athletics trip and a multi-day tour out of state draw on the same contracted service, at the same standard.
Insurance and risk
The agreement requires commercial general liability and business automobile liability of not less than $5,000,000 each, with the District, its Board of Trustees, officers, employees and agents named as additional insured and Pronto's coverage primary. Pronto carries $10,000,000 in automobile and general liability — above the contract minimum — and every trip runs two layers deep: the operating affiliate's policy first, Pronto's behind it.
Read the full release (PDF, 1 page)
This District ran a real procurement and asked hard questions. What we agreed to is not a price list — it is a standard of service, and the portal we are building for SMCCD is how we intend to hold ourselves to it. Pronto Corporation
Cal State Mobility Portal and dedicated portals for all 23 campuses — Powered by Pronto — go live
Students, faculty, staff, athletic teams and departments across the California State University can now plan, book and manage group trips online at Cal State pre-approved rates — from one portal for the system and one for each campus.
As committed in Pronto's proposal to the CSU, the system now has its own mobility portal, with a separate portal for each of its 23 campuses serving 450,000+ students, faculty and staff.
Trips are fulfilled from Pronto's own Bay Area fleet and from the affiliate network behind it — 445 affiliate operators within 50 miles of a Cal State campus , 2,000+ across California and 4,794 nationwide. Students, faculty, staff and employees register once and keep the account for life: the same login books a campus trip, travel of their own, or an alumni reunion years after graduation.
For the people who book trips
- Cal State pre-approved rates — the price is known before the trip is booked
- Five steps: register, request, confirm, travel, repeat
- One portal per campus, with no calls or emails needed to book
- Every vehicle type, from sedans and Sprinter vans to shuttles and motorcoaches
- Upcoming and past trips kept in one place, and managed online
What you can book
- Athletics and team travel, student organizations, recruiting and college tours
- Retreats, offsites, conferences and recurring campus shuttles
- Airport transfers, educational field trips and local transit connectors
For students
- Experience Together and Ride Together, with Pronto Rewards points toward future bookings
- The Pronto Campus Ambassador Program, with an application on every campus portal
For procurement, risk and IT
- The full package: a six-page PDF covering the services, the affiliate network, the security and privacy assessment and how the two layers of insurance stack
- $10,000,000 automobile and general liability, twice the federal requirement
Cal State Customer Care
- Live specialists and live chat, around the clock
- Reservations, dispatch and payments, before and during every trip
- CalState@iPronto.com · 833.CSU.0008
Read the full release (PDF, 1 page)
Pronto Corporation selected by the California State University for systemwide charter and shuttle services
The CSU has awarded Accelar, Inc. dba Pronto Corporation an agreement for Charter and Shuttle Bus Services, with coverage proposed for all 23 Cal State campuses.
The California State University issued a systemwide Request for Proposals for Charter and Shuttle Bus Services. Pronto Corporation submitted a proposal covering every one of the system's 23 campuses and was selected by the CSU; the Notice of Intent to Award was issued on 17 June 2026, and the agreement took effect on 1 July 2026.
The term runs 1 July 2026 through 30 June 2028, with five one-year renewal options.
What campuses can book
- Athletics and team travel, student organizations, recruiting and college tours
- Retreats, offsites, conferences and campus events
- Recurring campus shuttles and local transit connectors
- Airport transfers and educational field trips
- Single-day, multi-day and overnight trips, inside and outside California
What Pronto brings
- Coverage proposed for all 23 campuses, from Humboldt to San Diego
- Cal State pre-approved rates, so a trip is priced before it is booked
- Every vehicle type — motorcoach, shuttle, Sprinter van, SUV and sedan
- Registered with the FTA to provide charter services nationwide (FTA Charter ID 6643)
- A dedicated Cal State Customer Care line, staffed 24/7
- A Cal State Mobility Portal, with a separate portal for every campus
One standard across 23 campuses
Pronto operates its own fleet in the San Francisco Bay Area. Behind it sits the affiliate network: 445 affiliate operators within 50 miles of a Cal State campus , 2,000+ across California and 4,794 nationwide. A short-notice athletics trip out of Chico and a multi-day conference trip out of San Diego draw on the same contracted service, at the same standard.
Insurance and risk
Federal rules require motorcoach and bus operators to carry $5,000,000 in automobile and general liability. Pronto carries $10,000,000 — twice the requirement — and every trip runs two layers deep: the operating affiliate's policy first, Pronto's behind it.
Read the full release (PDF, 1 page)
Twenty-three campuses, each with its own teams, clubs and calendars. What we committed to is one standard of service across all of them — and a portal for every campus so that standard is easy to hold us to. Pronto Corporation
SMCCD Mobility Portal and dedicated portals for its three colleges — Powered by Pronto — go live
Staff across College of San Mateo, Cañada College and Skyline College can now request a trip, see the District's contracted price instantly, and confirm against a purchase order without an email thread.
As committed in Pronto's response to RFP 87010, the District now has its own mobility portal, with a separate portal for each college serving the District's 30,000+ students.
Trips are fulfilled from Pronto's own Bay Area fleet, dispatched from Millbrae inside San Mateo County and under thirty minutes from all three colleges, and from the affiliate network behind it — 340+ affiliate operators within 25 miles of the District , 2,000+ across California and 4,794 nationwide. Students, faculty, staff and employees can use the same portal for a college trip or for travel of their own, anywhere in the country.
For the people who book trips
- An instant quote — the District's approved cost schedule is already loaded, so the price appears as the trip is entered
- Request, quote, confirm on a PO: about three minutes, rather than a round of emails and a callback
- Upcoming and past trips, passenger counts, itinerary changes, driver and vehicle details, all in one place
- Live tracking on travel day
- A short guided tour on the first few visits
For students
- Experience Together and Ride Together, with rewards points that build up whether the trip is theirs or their club's
- A paid campus ambassador role, with a sign-up form on every campus portal
For business services
- PO-referenced invoices, pulled directly rather than requested
- Trip history and spend by college and in aggregate
- Cancellations and on-time performance
- Up to 1,000 SMCCD user accounts under the platform licence, with a dedicated support line
- Purchase Order discipline unchanged — purchases by PO only, payment by District check, every invoice referencing its PO and routed to the assigned point of contact before it reaches Accounts Payable
Built to the accessibility warranty
- Keyboard navigable and screen-reader labelled, honouring reduced-motion settings, per the Section 508 warranty in the agreement
Read the full release (PDF, 1 page)
Pronto launches Nebraska Huskers shuttle service with expanded intercity routes
A shift from public transit-operated special-event service to a private, demand-responsive model — covered in Bus & Motorcoach News.
Bus & Motorcoach News covered the launch of Pronto’s Husker shuttle network — game-day service between Memorial Stadium and four Lincoln satellite lots, plus intercity shuttles from Omaha, Kearney, Grand Island, Norfolk and Columbus.
The article frames the transition as a shift from a public transit-operated special-event service to a private model built on advance reservations, guaranteed seats and demand-responsive scheduling. Trips to the stadium and postgame returns are sold separately, so riders buy only the legs they need and choose their own departure time.
What the coverage highlights
- The service was launched in 15 days
- Real-time booking data lets Pronto add routes, departure times, vehicles and capacity as demand develops
- 4,794 transportation providers in the nationwide affiliate network stand behind it
Who is quoted
- Kumar Shah, President & CEO, Pronto Corporation
- Elizabeth Elliott, Director, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities
- Brandon Meier, Deputy Athletic Director for External Relations, Nebraska Athletics
Pronto’s special-event experience dates to 2010 and the San Francisco 49ers, and covers more than 100,000 passengers carried to concerts, festivals, golf tournaments and college football games since.
Read the article on Bus & Motorcoach News ↗
SMCCD Mobility Portal and dedicated portals for its three colleges — Powered by Pronto — go live
Staff across College of San Mateo, Cañada College and Skyline College can now request a trip, see the District's contracted price instantly, and confirm against a purchase order without an email thread.
As committed in Pronto's response to RFP 87010, the District now has its own mobility portal, with a separate portal for each college serving the District's 30,000+ students.
Trips are fulfilled from Pronto's own Bay Area fleet, dispatched from Millbrae inside San Mateo County and under thirty minutes from all three colleges, and from the affiliate network behind it — 340+ affiliate operators within 25 miles of the District , 2,000+ across California and 4,794 nationwide. Students, faculty, staff and employees can use the same portal for a college trip or for travel of their own, anywhere in the country.
For the people who book trips
- An instant quote — the District's approved cost schedule is already loaded, so the price appears as the trip is entered
- Request, quote, confirm on a PO: about three minutes, rather than a round of emails and a callback
- Upcoming and past trips, passenger counts, itinerary changes, driver and vehicle details, all in one place
- Live tracking on travel day
- A short guided tour on the first few visits
For students
- Experience Together and Ride Together, with rewards points that build up whether the trip is theirs or their club's
- A paid campus ambassador role, with a sign-up form on every campus portal
For business services
- PO-referenced invoices, pulled directly rather than requested
- Trip history and spend by college and in aggregate
- Cancellations and on-time performance
- Up to 1,000 SMCCD user accounts under the platform licence, with a dedicated support line
- Purchase Order discipline unchanged — purchases by PO only, payment by District check, every invoice referencing its PO and routed to the assigned point of contact before it reaches Accounts Payable
Built to the accessibility warranty
- Keyboard navigable and screen-reader labelled, honouring reduced-motion settings, per the Section 508 warranty in the agreement
Read the full release (PDF, 1 page)
Cal State Mobility Portal and dedicated portals for all 23 campuses — Powered by Pronto — go live
Students, faculty, staff, athletic teams and departments across the California State University can now plan, book and manage group trips online at Cal State pre-approved rates — from one portal for the system and one for each campus.
As committed in Pronto's proposal to the CSU, the system now has its own mobility portal, with a separate portal for each of its 23 campuses serving 450,000+ students, faculty and staff.
Trips are fulfilled from Pronto's own Bay Area fleet and from the affiliate network behind it — 445 affiliate operators within 50 miles of a Cal State campus , 2,000+ across California and 4,794 nationwide. Students, faculty, staff and employees register once and keep the account for life: the same login books a campus trip, travel of their own, or an alumni reunion years after graduation.
For the people who book trips
- Cal State pre-approved rates — the price is known before the trip is booked
- Five steps: register, request, confirm, travel, repeat
- One portal per campus, with no calls or emails needed to book
- Every vehicle type, from sedans and Sprinter vans to shuttles and motorcoaches
- Upcoming and past trips kept in one place, and managed online
What you can book
- Athletics and team travel, student organizations, recruiting and college tours
- Retreats, offsites, conferences and recurring campus shuttles
- Airport transfers, educational field trips and local transit connectors
For students
- Experience Together and Ride Together, with Pronto Rewards points toward future bookings
- The Pronto Campus Ambassador Program, with an application on every campus portal
For procurement, risk and IT
- The full package: a six-page PDF covering the services, the affiliate network, the security and privacy assessment and how the two layers of insurance stack
- $10,000,000 automobile and general liability, twice the federal requirement
Cal State Customer Care
- Live specialists and live chat, around the clock
- Reservations, dispatch and payments, before and during every trip
- CalState@iPronto.com · 833.CSU.0008
Read the full release (PDF, 1 page)
Is the FTA Charter Rule still protecting private operators?
Commentary by Kumar Shah, President & CEO of Pronto Corporation, in Bus & Motorcoach News.
Bus & Motorcoach News published a commentary by Kumar Shah asking whether the FTA’s Charter Service Rule still gives qualified private operators the protection Congress intended.
The piece works through Pronto’s dispute with the Lane Transit District over the Oregon Country Fair shuttle. Pronto responded to LTD’s Part 604 charter notice, identified two Eugene-area affiliates with more than 30 motorcoaches, and proposed a demand-responsive operation it calculated would cut the fair’s transportation costs by more than 10%.
When low-clearance tree branches ruled out standard-height coaches, Pronto offered to pay for trimming, then proposed leasing LTD’s own lower-profile buses at published rates under 49 CFR 604.8. LTD instead sought an advisory opinion arguing no private operator could perform the service. The FTA granted it on 28 April under Section 604.9. Pronto filed a complaint against LTD, and on 29 June a revised complaint and motion asking the FTA to vacate that determination.
The broader argument
- The 2012 SFMTA interpretation and the April 2026 LTD determination together narrow the rule’s practical protection
- Special-event transportation has moved into transit operating budgets rather than being treated as charter work
- Whether these interpretations should have gone through formal rulemaking is one of the legal questions in Pronto’s filings
The scale at stake
- Transit agencies spend an estimated $2B+ a year on special-event transportation
- A demand-responsive private model could deliver comparable service for substantially less
- Pronto puts the annual market opportunity above $800M
The article carries an editor’s note identifying Pronto as the complainant, and links the underlying public records and regulatory filings so readers can review them and reach their own conclusions.
Read the commentary on Bus & Motorcoach News ↗
Pronto Corporation selected by the California State University for systemwide charter and shuttle services
The CSU has awarded Accelar, Inc. dba Pronto Corporation an agreement for Charter and Shuttle Bus Services, with coverage proposed for all 23 Cal State campuses.
The California State University issued a systemwide Request for Proposals for Charter and Shuttle Bus Services. Pronto Corporation submitted a proposal covering every one of the system's 23 campuses and was selected by the CSU; the Notice of Intent to Award was issued on 17 June 2026, and the agreement took effect on 1 July 2026.
The term runs 1 July 2026 through 30 June 2028, with five one-year renewal options.
What campuses can book
- Athletics and team travel, student organizations, recruiting and college tours
- Retreats, offsites, conferences and campus events
- Recurring campus shuttles and local transit connectors
- Airport transfers and educational field trips
- Single-day, multi-day and overnight trips, inside and outside California
What Pronto brings
- Coverage proposed for all 23 campuses, from Humboldt to San Diego
- Cal State pre-approved rates, so a trip is priced before it is booked
- Every vehicle type — motorcoach, shuttle, Sprinter van, SUV and sedan
- Registered with the FTA to provide charter services nationwide (FTA Charter ID 6643)
- A dedicated Cal State Customer Care line, staffed 24/7
- A Cal State Mobility Portal, with a separate portal for every campus
One standard across 23 campuses
Pronto operates its own fleet in the San Francisco Bay Area. Behind it sits the affiliate network: 445 affiliate operators within 50 miles of a Cal State campus , 2,000+ across California and 4,794 nationwide. A short-notice athletics trip out of Chico and a multi-day conference trip out of San Diego draw on the same contracted service, at the same standard.
Insurance and risk
Federal rules require motorcoach and bus operators to carry $5,000,000 in automobile and general liability. Pronto carries $10,000,000 — twice the requirement — and every trip runs two layers deep: the operating affiliate's policy first, Pronto's behind it.
Read the full release (PDF, 1 page)
Twenty-three campuses, each with its own teams, clubs and calendars. What we committed to is one standard of service across all of them — and a portal for every campus so that standard is easy to hold us to. Pronto Corporation
