INNISFIL, ON, May 15, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - The Town of Innisfil and Uber today launched Canada's first ridesharing-transit partnership. This partnership will not only encourage residents to access local transit hubs but will help them get around town and explore the community.
Through this partnership, the Town of Innisfil will subsidize a portion of the fare for all trips taken by residents within Innisfil, while offering additional subsidies for rides going to and from transit hubs. In addition, the Town of Innisfil has also partnered with Barrie Taxi as part of this new on-demand transit model to provide accessible rides.
"We are excited to launch this new solution to provide our residents with safe, accessible and reliable transportation," said Innisfil Mayor Gord Wauchope. "Rather than place a bus on the road to serve just a few residents, we are moving ahead with a better service that can transport people from all across our town to wherever they need to go."
"Uber is making it easier for Innisfil residents to get around town and connect to local transit while saving town taxpayers' money," said Sheldon McCormick, Uber Ontario General Manager. "We were thrilled when the Town of Innisfil approached us last year looking for a modern transportation alternative. We were happy to work with Innisfil to design this program and are always eager to help bring positive change and innovation to communities across Ontario."
This partnership will help Innisfil residents connect with the Barrie-South GO Station, and the local GO Bus line. Ridesharing has become a first mile/last mile complement with public transit in cities around the world. The American Public Transportation Association, to which many Canadian transit authorities are members, published a study last year that found that people who routinely use "shared modes" of transportation (e.g., bikesharing, carsharing, and ridesharing) were more likely to use public transit. Today, people are combining ridesharing and public transit to substitute for a car and create shared journeys. As a case in point, in London, 30% of Uber rides in the outer boroughs during the morning rush hour end within 200 metres of a Tube or train station.
Realizing these trends are already happening, more and more transit authorities and cities are entering into formal agreements with ridesharing companies to help connect people to public transit, like in the feeder communities of New York City and Orlando, or improve paratransit services for the elderly and disabled, as with a pilot program in Boston.
For more information about the ridesharing partnership in Innisfil, ON., please visitt.uber.com/innisfil_transit or http://www.Innisfil.ca/transit. To learn more about driving with Uber in Innisfil, please visit t.uber.com/innisfil.
About the Town of Innisfil
Situated just south of Barrie and about 45 minutes north of Toronto, the Town of Innisfil is a growing community with a population of approximately 36,000 people. Innisfil prides itself on having a small-town feel while offering modern amenities such as cutting-edge libraries, sports facilities and access to the beautiful Lake Simcoe. Town staff and its Council are dedicated to helping the community grow in a sustainable way to become a place that is connected physically, socially, culturally and digitally.
About Uber Canada
Co-founded by Canadian entrepreneur Garrett Camp in 2009, Uber is evolving the way the world moves. Present in over 40 communities in Canada, Uber has revolutionized transportation and offers more than 20,000 Canadian driver-partners a new way to earn income in their spare time by offering an affordable transportation alternative to hundreds of thousands of riders across the country.
For more information, visit uber.com.
SOURCE Uber Canada Inc.
Media Inquiries: Johnny Keogh, Communications Coordinator, Town of Innisfil, [email protected]; Erin Scuccimiarri, Manager of Marketing and Community Engagement, Town of Innisfil and Innisfil ideaLAB & Library, [email protected]; Susie Heath, Senior Communications Associate, Uber Canada, [email protected]
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