Arlington’s on-demand public transit service, Via Rideshare, last month expanded its service area and will soon reach all neighborhoods, shopping centers, offices, restaurants, medical facilities and other key destinations across The American Dream City.
Over the past three years, Arlington, in partnership with Via, the leader in TransitTech, has continually expanded the Via Rideshare service area to make affordable, on-demand public transportation accessible to even more residents, employees and visitors. In 2017, Arlington and Via launched Via Rideshare and became one of the first cities in the country to use on-demand technology as their primary public transportation solution to expand access to affordable, efficient, and convenient transit solutions. Now in its fourth year, the service continues to provide an equitable and flexible on-demand transit offering that is free from fixed routes and schedules. Via’s platform routes passengers in real time to “virtual bus stops” within just a couple blocks for pickup and drop off, enabling multiple passengers headed in the same direction to efficiently share a single vehicle.
“Every city in America is looking at ways to improve public transportation, and mayors across the country continue to recognize Arlington’s rideshare program with Via as the gold standard for transportation solutions,” Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams says. “We are so excited about the citywide expansion and the difference that Via continues to make in our community. On-demand rideshare also improves overall equity here in Arlington, making sure all of our residents have cost-effective access to transportation so they can make it to work, appointments or shopping destinations.”
Riders can book a shared ride six days a week using a smartphone application or a dial-in phone number, 817-784-7382. The service operates between 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.
With the citywide expansion, a new fare structure will go into effect starting Feb. 15, 2021 to better align the value of longer rides and a larger service area with the costs required to sustain the service. The new fares will be based on trip distance, with a minimum of $3 per trip for rides up to 1.5 miles in length and a maximum of $5 per ride for trips over 6 miles in length. The detailed pricing schedule is available on the City’s Via website at arlingtontx.gov/via. The exact rate will be quoted to the rider before booking a trip.
