Underfunded and overburdened, public transit agencies aren’t wrong to view Uber and Lyft as threats to ridership statistics and fare revenue. But viewed as a complement, ride-hailing offers an answer to the so-called “first-and-last-mile” problem which transit users often face, especially in low-density cities. Some agencies are wholeheartedly embracing ride-hailing’s potential—and undoubtedly, the rest will have a lot to learn from them.
Pinellas County, Florida, is among those early adopters. In February, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority became thefirst agency in the country to subsidize Uber rides (along with those from United Taxi, a local taxi company) for any rider, at any time, to and from designated bus stations in neighborhoods with thin transit coverage. This pilot program wraps up in August.
Now the agency is expanding access to ride-hailing to low-income riders for whom a bus connection doesn’t always cut it. In a knock-on pilot program funded by a state grant, eligible riders participating in the county’s “Transit Disadvantaged” program can now access 23 free rides per month from Uber or United Taxi between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., from any starting point to any destination. (One free ride per month during daytime hours is also included).
[For more of this story, written by Laura Bliss, go to http://www.citylab.com/commute...-dial-a-ride/487568/]
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