Via, the leading provider of shared rides in New York City, sees the congestion surcharge, effective in January, as the next step in a greater vision of shared mobility in New York and around the globe. The congestion surcharge increases consumer focus on how we commute, and the low cost of the surcharge for shared rides as compared to private is a recognition that shared rides are a key piece of working towards solving the issue of congestion in our cities-- something Via has been committed to since day one.
In 2018 alone, Via riders in New York saved more than $90M and 9.2M pounds of CO2 by sharing rides versus traveling private. More than 400K Via routes this year in New York City had at least 5 pickups, and 95% of our rides since launch in 2013 in New York are booked as shared, which is significant as compared to self-reported data from Uber (20%) and Lyft (35%) overall.
“We applaud New York for treating shared rides differently than private rides when it comes to the cost of the surcharge, and we at Via see this as the next step in a greater vision of shared mobility here at home and worldwide. In fact, cities are already using Via’s technology to power their own shared transit, helping to bridge the gap between public transportation and private vehicles, reducing single occupancy vehicles on the road,” said Daniel Ramot, CEO and co-founder of Via.
Via introduced its dynamic routing technology for efficient shared rides in 41 new markets in 2018, 38 of which were partnerships with cities and organizations committed to evolving mobility for their residents, employees or students, for example. From Singapore where Via recently launched a dynamic, on-demand public bus service to Arlington, TX where the city replaced its fixed bus line with a fleet of Via’s vehicles to LA where Via is launching a service with LA Metro early this year—this is a world in which Via is well-versed.
Via’s platform and technology were designed to make sharing work, and this is what has separated Via from its competitors from day one. In fact, the TLC reported in 2018 that Via has the highest utilization rate of any for-hire vehicle service in New York City, highlighting the congestion reducing benefits of Via’s shared platform built on the bedrock of efficient, dynamic routing and “virtual bus stops” that match passengers headed in the same direction into a shared vehicle.
The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) took note, as Via is the only ride hailing organization that has been actively working with the DOT in New York to address congestion through shared rides with Gridlock Alert Days.
