Uber took 300K N.J. commuters to the bus or train last month
More commuters are turning to ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft to cover that difficult "last mile," the distance between train stations or bus stops and their homes or jobs.
Last month, 300,000 of the 1.3 million rides provided by Uber in New Jersey were to transit or PATH stations, according to company statistics. Company officials looked for trips that begin or ended about one-eighth of a mile from a station in making the determination. Of those trips, more than 65,000 were at or near a PATH Station.
"We've seen increased demand to and from transit stations during commuting hours," said Ana Mahony, general manager for New Jersey. "We're seeing Uber become an extension of public transit, people are using Uber to get to and from the station."
Uber and
Lyft use a smart phone application to connect riders with a ride, usually provided by a private driver using their personal vehicle. Drivers use a similar app to indicate they are available to provide a ride.
Nationally, 25 percent of the rides provided by Lyft were to and from transit. New Jersey numbers weren't available for the company.
"There are a large number of commuters who are using Lyft to connect to public transportation. Many are individuals who would have driven alone," said Emily Castor, Lyft Director of Transportation Policy.
Typically, those commuters don't live close enough to a train station to walk or the closest station has a parking shortage, which prompts them to drive to work, she said.
Transportation experts said such rideshare services could help fill that gap.
"The last mile has been a challenge for transit. Historically, it's been a struggle all across transit systems," said David Behrend, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority spokesman. "(Rideshare services) are a factor that will have to be considered in transportation planning going forward."
Six months ago, Lyft started a team to work with transit agencies to solve issues, including the first or last mile of a rider's trip, Castor said.
"It depends on the location and the context, in suburban communities that are less densely populated, that last mile is a challenge," said Jon A, Carnegie, executive director of the
Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University. "In urban communities, it is more hospitable to bike or walk."
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Past efforts to provide shuttles or connecting bus service with rail has fallen short for a variety of reasons, including commuter confidence that the bus will arrive in time to catch the train, Carnegie said.
Rideshare services could encourage new commuters to use transit, if they can guarantee transportation, he said.
"It could make sense, as long, as it is reliable and people are confident they'll get a ride when they need it," Carnegie said. "The model relies on the availability of drivers, unlike a taxi service, where they schedule drivers to work in shifts."
Taxi owners sought tighter regulation of ridersharing services and bills to do that has been discussed in the state legislature.
Uber has 12,000 drivers in New Jersey and has kept up with commuter demand, Mahony said. Driver figures weren't available for Lyft.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
