A new door-to-door evening bus service aimed at Napa Valley College students and people who work at night will start within Napa city limits Wednesday.

FlexRide will operate from 6 to 10 p.m. weekdays, extending transit services for people who need rides after VINE buses stop at 6:30 p.m., said Deborah Brunner of the Napa County Transportation Planning Agency.

Riders will need to reserve a seat from one to three days in advance. The cost is $2 per trip, which is double the VINE’s current adult fare.

For years, Napa Valley College students have complained that the VINE doesn’t meet the needs of people attending evening classes, Brunner said. Some people have been unable to attend night classes because they lacked transportation, she said.

Adults who work evening jobs at such places as Wal-Mart and Target are another likely group of FlexRide riders, she said.

The service is being subsidized by a one-year, $180,000 Low Income Flexible Transportation grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. After a year, local officials will evaluate the program’s success and decide whether to seek more funding, she said. Initially, the service will operate weeknights until 10 and Sundays, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Come spring, FlexRide will be expanded to include early morning weekday hours, and more hours on Sundays as well as Saturday service, Brunner said.

When the service is fully rolled out, FlexRide will operate 5-6:45 a.m. on weekdays, before VINE buses operate, as well as at night after VINE service ends.

The ultimate weekend schedule will be: 7-8:30 p.m. Saturdays, extending the regular VINE day by an hour and a half, and Sundays 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. VINE buses do not operate in the city on Sundays.

Two 14-passenger buses will provide FlexRide service both during the week and on weekends, Brunner said. Drivers will attempt door-to-door service whenever possible.

“Unlike the VINE, which operates on a fixed schedule and fixed route, the FlexRide is well ... flexible,” said Jim Leddy, executive director of the Napa County Transportation Planning Agency. “The riders essentially determine the schedule and stops.”

This is a first-come, first-served operation. Reservations are made by calling VINE Customer Service at 251-2800.

Reservations can be made between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Wednesday will be the first day to make reservations.

FlexRide will be paid for by special grant funds, not revenues used to support the VINE and Vine Go services, Brunner said.