Tuesday, November 21, 2017
LA Metro, Via Tie On Ridesharing Effort
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and ridesharing service operator Via are in a new effort to use Via's ridesharing service to provide "last mile" service to users to get them to the Metro's biggest stations, according to the two. Via and the LA Metro said that a $1.35 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration is funding the effort, which will let passengers book a seat on a shared, "dynamically-routed" vehicle which will deliver passengers to three of the Metro's major stations, all via a smartphone app. The two said the service is expected to improve access to public transportation in LA. The Via fares will be subsidized by Metro as part of the program. The program is expected to begin in Summer of 2018.