SEPTA, Uber to Announce Suburban Pilot Program

The arrangement to be announced tomorrow is intended to improve access to transit throughout the region.

As part of an effort to improve access to mass transit regionwide, SEPTA will launch a pilot project this summer in partnership with the Uber ride-sharing service.

The pilot project is part of research SEPTA is conducting on the effect ride-sharing services may have on mass transit. A recent American Public Transportation Association study found that riders are already using such services for first and last mile connections to public transit, with 20 percent of study respondents saying they did so.

Details on how the SEPTA-Uber partnership will work and the benefits it will offer to riders will be released at a news conference at noon tomorrow in Jenkintown.

According to the Inquirer, the pilot program will include discounted fares for riders taking Uber to or from 11 Regional Rail stations, and will run from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

The project looks like a smart move for both SEPTA and Uber. A little more than a year ago, Patrick Kerkstra noted the arrival of Uber-like on-demand bus and vanpool services as well as the launch of pooled-ride options from both Uber and Lyft and asked: “Could these new startups threaten mass transit?” While he saw the potential, SEPTA didn’t see them as a threat, but Director of Strategic Planning Byron Comati did see one area where on-demand ride-sharing could eat into ridership:

“As we get closer and closer to 8:30 at night, the peak is long gone, a lot of vehicles go out of service, frequencies get wider and wider on the bus in particular. So maybe there’s a market niche in there somewhere in the non-peak where ridership typically drops and our level of service commensurately drops.”

The summer pilot program appears targeted towards a different day part, however: the daytime hours, when SEPTA’s station parking lots fill early and remain full until evening rush. If enough riders use Uber as a feeder to Regional Rail, however, it might lead SEPTA to boost off-peak train frequencies.

Previously: SEPTA on Demand? How the Uber Model Can Save Bus Transit

Previously: Can SEPTA Plausibly Offer an Uber-like Bus Service?

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