In order to encourage area riders to pair rideshare trips with mass transit, Uber has partnered with Sound Transit and the cities of Tukwila and Seatac to offer and promote discounts on rides to and from light rail stations.
Starting Tuesday, Sept. 6, Uber riders traveling to or from eight light rail stations south of downtown Seattle who enter the TRANSIT promo code in their app will receive $3.50 off their UberX or UberPOOL trip.
The pilot is scheduled to run until Jan. 5, 2018, but its duration and scope could change based on reception by riders, according to a media release from Uber. Details about the offer and where it applies are available at uber.com/blog/seattle/a-winning-combination-uber-and-public-transit/.
“We know people throughout the country are reducing their personal vehicle ownership and instead using a mix of public transit, rideshare, biking, walking and other forms of transportation,” Brooke Steger, Uber general manager for the Pacific Northwest said in the release. “This pilot program is designed to encourage even more people to move in that direction.”
According to a study issued last year by the American Public Transportation Association, people who routinely use alternative modes of transportation such as bikeshare, carshare and rideshare save more money and own half as many household cars as people who use public transit alone.
“Uber’s pilot program with Sound Transit provides Link riders from South King County a terrific incentive to connect with transit using their vast network of shared ride providers,” Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff said in the release. “We believe this partnership will be a great test for future integrated service connections as Sound Transit expands light rail to new communities throughout the Puget Sound.”
Eligible light rail stations include Tukwila International Boulevard, SeaTac/Airport Station and Angle Lake.
Seattle boasts a robust public transportation system, but there are still places that lack convenient access to transit stations and bus lines. The goal of this partnership is to help fill those gaps and facilitate the use of public transit, the release said.
“Uber is committed to making a positive impact in our local community by helping make Seattle’s public transportation more accessible and efficient,” Steger said. “Our hope is that this program helps us get riders door-to-door, without having to use their own personal vehicle, even when they’re on a budget.”
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