After launching a feature in May that allowed users to purchase public transit tickets through its app, Uber released its first figures highlighting the partnership's early success in Denver.
The company reported today that more than 1,200 Regional Transportation District (RTD) tickets have been sold through its app, with growth averaging 42 percent each week during the rollout period.
Uber Transit ticketing was launched to a small cohort of users in May and became available to all Denver users in late-June.
When riders enter a destination on the Uber app, they’ll see “Transit” next to other available transportation options. Once selected, they’ll be able to view available transit routes that will get them to their destination, along with real-time departure and arrival times, walking directions to and from the transit stations and mobile ticket purchase.
“The data we’re seeing from the launch of Uber Transit affirms that people appreciate choices, and that the future of mobility lies in providers working together to deliver on public expectations,” RTD CEO and GM Dave Genova said in a statement. “Twelve hundred transit tickets sold within the Uber app represents 1,200 decisions actively made to take transit, after considering all options available. And for travelers who take Uber after seeing that RTD is available to them, being made aware of our services ultimately broadens our reach.”
Nearly two-thirds of tickets sold were for local rides, the company said, but regional rides – including trips to and from Denver International Airport – were the second-most-popular option for in-app ticket purchases, at 23 percent.
The company said in a release that it's encouraged by the feature's growth, with the number of tickets sold on Uber Transit increasing each week, reaching over 200 weekly tickets as of the last week of June.
“Every week since we launched ticketing, more riders have used Uber to connect to mass transit,” Uber Head of Transit David Reich said. “Initial numbers show riders are using the Uber platform to plan their commutes from end-to-end, using a variety of transportation options. We’re using this data and insights from Denver to inform the Uber Transit experience in London, Boston and other future cities.”
Following pilots in Boston and St. Petersburg, Denver was Uber Transit's first market to receive a comprehensive city-wide rollout.
Now that Uber Transit is available to 100 percent of Denver, Uber and RTD said they are ramping up marketing efforts throughout the region, with train cars wrapped with Uber Transit imagery and electronic information displays at RTD stations.
