Mobility Companies – Page 63 – I wish I had more to offer

‘Link On Demand’ Popularity Surges as Colorado Commuters Turn to On-Demand Public Transit

Published September 17, 2019 5:03 pm, Via NYC
‘Link On Demand’ Popularity Surges as Colorado Commuters Turn to On-Demand Public Transit
The on-demand service draws hundreds of customers every week, letting riders leave their cars at home during daily commutes.

September 17, 2019 (LONE TREE, COLORADO) — Via, the world’s leading provider and developer of on-demand public mobility solutions, today released milestone metrics for the City of Lone Tree’s Link On Demand transportation system, which launched in partnership with Via in February 2019. In the last six months, residents and area commuters have taken tens of thousands of rides, with vehicle utilization well beyond projected goals.

“Expanded transportation options and congestion relief are top priorities for Lone Tree residents and businesses. Link On Demand allowed the City to optimize its transportation infrastructure investments and improve access and mobility throughout Lone Tree,” said Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet. “Demand for the service continues to grow and our partnership with Via has resulted in improved customer service, ridership and data collection.”

The City of Lone Tree originally piloted Link On Demand in 2018 and transitioned to its current partnership with Via earlier this year. The on-demand transportation system serves as a free shuttle anywhere within the city limits, providing riders with a convenient and comfortable way to access anything in Lone Tree while reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions caused by single-occupancy vehicles.

Since partnering with Via, however, residents have proved their eagerness to leave their private vehicles at home and take public transportation. Riders took more than 28,000 trips on Link On Demand in less than six months, with ridership demand actually increasing after the Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) southeast rail extension in Lone Tree in May 2019. It now averages more than 1,000 rides per week in a city with fewer than 15,000 residents.

And while Link On Demand serves as a connection to anywhere within the city limits, the service is most popular with daily commuters getting to and from the office. In fact, the Charles Schwab and Kaiser Permanente’s corporate campuses account for 25 percent of all pick-ups since launching in February, and 24.8 percent of all drop-offs.

What’s more is that ridership to and from those corporate campuses actually increased in the 12 weeks after the RTD extended its E, F and R light-rail service into Lone Tree. The volume of pick-ups increased by 18.2% and drop-offs by 15.2%, with Link On Demand likely acting as a first- and last-mile connection for the increasing volume of commuters taking the train.

This all accounts for the on-demand network’s significant utilization rate, as the number of people requesting rides more than triples during the morning and evening commuting hours. Because of its high utilization rate, Link On Demand has now saved nearly 35,000 vehicle miles by sharing a ride compared to driving a private vehicle, equivalent to eliminating more than 11 tons of CO2 vehicle emissions.

“Via’s technology is redefining mobility across the globe, and we’re thrilled to see such a positive reaction from Lone Tree Link riders since launching the new on-demand service,” Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via, said. “This project proves that the easier it is to take public transport, the more people will reliably choose it over their private vehicle.”

To date, the Link On Demand app has been downloaded more than 3,400 times. This equates to nearly a quarter of Lone Tree’s population having the app.

Commuters can use the service by downloading the Link On Demand smartphone app powered by Via, available on iOS and Android. Link On Demand operates Monday to Thursday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.; Friday from 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.; and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.

About Via

Via is re-engineering public transit, from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network. Via’s mobile app connects multiple passengers who are headed the same way, allowing riders to seamlessly share a premium vehicle. First launched in New York City in September 2013, the Via platform operates in the United States and in Europe through its joint venture with Mercedes-Benz Vans, ViaVan. Via’s technology is also deployed worldwide through dozens of partner projects with public transportation agencies, private transit operators, taxi fleets, private companies, and universities, seamlessly integrating with public transit infrastructure to power cutting-edge on-demand mobility. For more information, visit www.platform.ridewithvia.com.

Why I Ride with Waymo: Jean

Editor’s Note: In this next “Why I Ride with Waymo” post we catch up with Jean. Although she often rides with Waymo with her husband, Bob, Waymo offers them different benefits. For example, Bob likes how Waymo One allows them to be a one car household, while Jean prefers the predictably of Waymo One, especially… Continue reading Why I Ride with Waymo: Jean

Uber to Acquire Majority Ownership in Cornershop

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) today announced an agreement to acquire majority ownership of Cornershop, a leading online grocery provider in Chile, Mexico, and more recently in Peru and Toronto. The investment is expected to close in early 2020, subject to regulatory approval. “Whether it’s getting a ride, ordering food from your favorite… Continue reading Uber to Acquire Majority Ownership in Cornershop

Reche & Sandalwood Fire Relief in Riverside County

In response to the Reche & Sandalwood Fires in Riverside County, Lyft is committed to doing our part to help those in need. Today, Lyft is activating its Wheels for All program to help those evacuating the fires with free transportation to local shelters. We’re offering two free rides up to $15 each between now… Continue reading Reche & Sandalwood Fire Relief in Riverside County

A new partnership between the RTC and Communauto for integrated mobility

Quebec, October 10, 2019 – In a press conference on October 10th, the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) and Communauto, a pioneer in America as the manager of the oldest and one of the largest carsharing services, announced a new partnership. Reserved spaces in certain Parc-O-Bus (POB), the location of stations and free-floating cars in real time, the reservation within the real-time RTC Nomade application and the creation of an “integrated package” will be gradually rolled out until spring 2020 for the benefit of customers. This is an important milestone in integrated mobility.

M. Rémy Normand, President of Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) and M. Benoit Robert, President and founder of Communauto

Integrated mobility will allow everyone to choose their mode of transport adapted to the sector where they are, the conditions of the moment and the type of travel, all on the same digital platform. This partnership with Communauto is therefore significant for urban mobility, be it for the supply of services, infrastructure, pricing and customer information.

“Since it was founded in 1994, Communauto aims to offer alternative modes of transportation and the RTC has been working with this organization since 2004. Its vision is directly aligned with the RTC’s vision of offering a selection of mobility solutions. In fact, in its Strategic Plan 2018-2027, the RTC clearly identifies Communauto as a key player and we are very proud to have taken this step, which truly marks the first stage in the development of integrated mobility in Quebec City.” – Rémy Normand, President of the Réseau de transport de la Capitale.

“Today’s announcement marks a new milestone for multimodal mobility. In particular, the “integrated package” is a unique initiative, among the first in the world. We are delighted that this project is born thanks to the involvement of the RTC. For carsharing to have all its benefits, it must be paired with a well-established public transportation offer. Moreover, it becomes more relevant when modes of transport such as carsharing are added in, hence the importance of this initiative.” – Benoît Robert, president and founder of Communauto.

Details of the new partnership

From now on, parking spaces will be reserved for these shared vehicles in eight (8) local and regional POBs. This is one more step towards integrated mobility, an objective precisely defined in the RTC’s Strategic Plan 2018-2027.

Starting this fall, the first component of the partnership will focus on two identified parking spaces for Communauto carsharing vehicles in five local and one regional POB. These are the POB’s 41e Rue / 1re Avenue, Carrefour Les Saules, Jardin zoologique, Promenades Beauport, Pie-XII (corner Quatre-Bourgeois) and Le Gendre. Then, upon their opening, future POB’s Bastien and Sainte-Anne will also include these two spaces.

The main point of the agreement is the integration of Communauto’s data into the real-time RTC Nomade app, the mobile application of the RTC which notably allows the viewing of real-time schedules and the creation of itineraries. Starting this fall, the user will be able to locate Communauto stations as well as free-floating vehicles (FLEX cars) on the map of the mobile app. Booking will also be possible from the application’s interface in the winter of 2020.

To support this new partnership, the RTC will offer an “integrated package” that will include a monthly general RTC ticket for a given month and 10 FLEX Communauto trips of 30 minutes or less. It will be available in the spring of 2020, at a cost of $99.

Finally, Communauto improves the DUO Auto + Bus by adding the free late return. The DUO Auto + Bus already allows members to have the RTC L’abonne BUS and the subscription to an advantageous Communauto carsharing plan. In order to facilitate certain trips for members, the free late return will allow them to keep the car at night at no additional cost (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.).

About the RTC

The Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) transports more than 155,000 different people each month in the Greater Quebec City area. It operates a fleet of nearly 600 buses, several of which are hybrid and air-conditioned, which run on 134 routes and serve more than 4,500 stops, including 20 temperate stations. It employs more than 1,600 people in its two operation centres and offers real-time schedules on all its routes thanks to the range of real-time RTC Nomade tools. Transportation tickets meeting all needs are available in nearly 170 outlets throughout the agglomeration of Quebec City.

About Communauto

Founded in Québec City in 1994, Communauto is the oldest carsharing service in North America and the one serving the largest number of communities in Canada. It is also the first company in Canada to offer its customers a large fleet of 100% electric cars and to create offers combined with public transportation services. Present on two continents in 14 cities (Edmonton, Toronto, Kitchener / Waterloo, Hamilton, Guelph, London, Kingston, Ottawa, Gatineau, the regions of Montreal and Québec, Sherbrooke, Halifax and Paris in France) with a fleet of 3000 vehicles, it is one of the few operators in the world able to offer its customers access to vehicles available with or without reservation. Studies conducted in recent years show that each carsharing car replaces, on average, ten private vehicles in Québec.

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Source

Brigitte Lemay
Public Relations Advisor
Phone: 418-627-2351, extension 5160
Email: brigitte.lemay@rtcquebec.ca

Toyota Giraffe Configuration Fix

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Our Hardware Future

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Help During the Bay Area Power Outages

In response to the planned Bay Area power outages which are slated to impact hundreds of thousands of residents this week, Lyft is committed to doing our part to help those in need. We’re activating our Wheels For All program to help those in affected areas move to designated resource centers. We’re providing free rides… Continue reading Help During the Bay Area Power Outages

Northwestern University Partners with Via to Provide New On-Demand Safe Ride Program

Published September 19, 2019 5:37 pm, Via NYC
Northwestern University Partners with Via to Provide New On-Demand Safe Ride Program
The partnership allows students to book a Via on-demand for free, providing more vehicles and driver hours than the university’s previous Safe Ride program.

September 18, 2019 (CHICAGO, ILLINOIS) — Via, the world’s leading provider and developer of on-demand public mobility solutions, today announced a new partnership with Northwestern University, one of the country’s leading private research and teaching universities. Starting this year, Northwestern students will be able to hail a free Via during the evening hours, safely shuttling students around the university’s Evanston, IL campus.

The decision to partner with Via comes in response to student feedback about Northwestern’s existing Safe Ride program, and after examining ridership data over the past two years. By partnering with Via, students will see a 38 percent increase in the total number of hours that drivers are available, utilizing an increased number of dedicated and trained drivers each night.

Via’s partnership with Northwestern marks the company’s third high-profile university deployment in America. Via currently operates dynamic, on-demand student shuttles at both Harvard University and Northeastern University.

“Via has a demonstrated record as a transportation partner with other universities,” said Julie Payne-Kirchmeier, Northwestern’s interim vice president for Student Affairs. “We are confident they will create a ride service that is more available and able to meet the needs of our Northwestern students.”

Isabel Dobbel, president of Northwestern’s Associated Student Government, said wait times and past app difficulties have disproportionately affected low-income students on campus.

“Many times, students would request a private ride, paid for by themselves, through a separate app,” Dobbel said. “The Safe Rides partnership with Via shows potential to improve the user side of the experience, remove a difficult barrier for low-income students and increase access to safe and free transportation on campus.”

Northwestern’s partnership with Via means Safe Ride will continue to provide unlimited free rides for all undergraduate and graduate students, increasing campus safety by making it easier than ever to request a ride on-demand. As in years past, the Safe Ride program will operate seven days a week from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. during the fall, winter and spring quarters. Under the partnership, more vehicles and driver times will be available to students, a move designed to decrease wait times.

Safe Ride drivers will be paid an hourly rate instead of per ride. Drivers will be carefully selected with preference given to those with the highest ratings, positive customer feedback and the best driving records.

“We are delighted to partner with Northwestern University to bring a new level of convenience and efficiency to the school’s Safe Ride program,” said Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via. “Students shouldn’t have to think twice about getting around campus safely. We’re looking forward to providing students with a smart, efficient and sustainable campus transportation solution.”

Riders can download the Via app (iOS and Android) to hail vehicle directly from their smartphone. Via’s advanced algorithms will enable multiple riders to seamlessly share the vehicle. The powerful technology will direct passengers to the nearby pickup point, allowing for quick and efficient shared trips without lengthy detours, or inconvenient fixed routes and schedules.

Via has been tapped by cities, universities and transportation players around the world to help re-engineer public transit from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network. Via now has more than 80 launched and pending deployments in more than 20 countries, providing more than 60 million rides to date. To learn more about Via, visit www.platform.ridewithvia.com.