Arlington, once billed as the largest U.S. city without public transportation, brought an end this week to its first and only bus route: the Metro ArlingtonXpress.

The contract for the MAX, a bus route operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit, officially came to an end Friday — but its fate had been sealed for a while.

The bus service, which served about 300 riders per day since it began four years ago, "was not designed to be a permanent solution" for Arlington's public transit needs, DART spokesman Morgan Lyons said.

He added that while DART would have gladly continued to shuttle passengers between downtown Arlington and Dallas by way of the CentrePort/DFW Airport Station, city officials ultimately decided to move on.

"We think there was value in the [MAX] service," Lyons said. "Now it's an opportunity for Arlington to try something new."

That pilot program, a ride-sharing service called Via, launched in Arlington on Dec. 11 as the city began to phase out its MAX service.

Summoned by smartphone app, Via charges passengers a flat fee of $3, paid for through the app, and operates from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.

And unlike the MAX, which was limited to four stops, passengers can catch Via's Mercedes-Benz minivans anywhere within a specified area: for now just downtown, the city's entertainment district and the CentrePort station.

But passengers shouldn't count on getting out exactly where they want, Via driver Raj Jaegarnathan warned.

"They expect this to be Uber or Lyft," said Jaegarnathan, who also works for both ride-hailing services. "This is a corner-to-corner service."

The ride-sharing company got its start in 2013 in New York and also operates out of Washington, D.C., and Chicago. In Arlington, the service is funded partly by the Federal Transit Administration and by the city, which pitched in a third of its cost, or $322,500.

Accessing Via will pose a problem for riders without a smartphone or access to the internet, city officials acknowledge.

"There certainly are changes in the way that you can get aboard, but we're hopeful that the fact that it [the Via service] will go to so many different locations means that it will be helpful for a wider range of the population," said Ann Foss with the city's planning department.

Foss added that the city and Via plan to expand its service area north of Interstate 30 by mid-January and south to Interstate 20 by summer.

That's little comfort for Tony Saidi, who's been counting on the MAX to get around town. It was news to the unemployed 30-year-old that the bus service was ending.

"What happens if you don't have a phone?" he asked.

Even so, Saidi said he sees appeal for students and other young people without access to a car.

"Now at least students and young kids can get to Dallas and Fort Worth with the app," he said.