Hill Country Transit to Rebrand The Hop as The Ride
The Hill Country Transit District will change its transit service name from The Hop to The Ride on January 1, 2027.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Travel — General
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Hill Country Transit District will rename its transit service from The Hop to The Ride on January 1, 2027. The rebrand brings a new logo, website, and updated look for vehicles and the rider app, while services, booking options, and the customer service phone number stay the same.
Why it matters
The change applies to a regional transit system covering over 9,000 square miles across Texas's Hill Country and surrounding counties. Riders who depend on the service will keep the same ways to book trips, though the name and branding they see will be new.
The in-town fare is $2 per ride, and the rural service covers over 9,000 square miles across nine counties. The transit buses carry nine to 12 passengers, many of them wheelchair accessible, and the extraction does not say whether fares or coverage will change after the rename.
The players
Hill Country Transit District
The regional public transit agency that operates The Hop and will operate The Ride across Central Texas.
The details
Riders will order trips through an app and can track vehicles along their route, and those without a smartphone can use basic telephone service. The transit district no longer operates fixed routes in Killeen, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights, Belton, or Temple, and the vans pick riders up at home or other locations and take them directly to in-town destinations.
Timeline
January 1, 2027: The Hop officially becomes The Ride.
Seasonal Patterns
Rural demand-response transit systems like this one typically serve dispersed populations across large counties, rather than the fixed routes common in cities. The rebrand changes the name but leaves that door-to-door model intact.
Riders who already book trips through The Hop can expect the same booking options and customer service phone number after the change. Riders should watch for the new name, logo, and app look when the rebrand launches in January 2027.
The takeaway
If you rely on The Hop for in-town or rural trips, keep using the same booking method and phone number after January 1, 2027. Look for the new The Ride branding in the app and on vehicles when the change takes effect.
What happens next
The rename from The Hop to The Ride takes effect on January 1, 2027.
Further reading
For more on regional getaways and transit-friendly trips, see Travel — General.
More information
Details on the new service name are available on the Hill Country Transit District's The Ride information page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Temple Daily Telegram.
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