Mass transit startup Bridj wants to put an end to your complaints about running late for work because of WMATA delays and Uber surge pricing. The Boston-based startup announced on Wednesday that it will bring its adaptable shuttle service down to D.C. at some point this spring.
Bridj offers a service it describes as somewhere between Uber and public transportation. Essentially it offers a private bus service in nice mini-busses along routes determined by a combination of user votes and big data analysis of where people are and where they want to go, adapting them as new data comes in from direct feedback and other data.
"You may live a block down from the train but work in an area that's harder to transfer to. On Bridj we can sort of connect those two points directly," said Bridj's marketing manager Ryan Kelly. "It's an express shuttle that will go straight there, making very few stops along the way."
A lot of details about the D.C. launch are still being worked out, but it's likely that it will be largely similar to Boston, with a mix of shuttles owned by Bridj and partner companies using Bridj as a platform. The shuttles themeselves are quite nice, seating up to 14 passengers and offering Wi-Fi for passengers during the trip.
"It's a pretty premium environment," Kelly said.
The service will be really just for commuting around D.C. at least at first, limited to the District and likely to usual commuting times. It's a flat fee for each trip though, regardless of distance, and varying mainly based on how busy the service will be. Kelly said the price will likely vary by market, but in Boston, it never gets above $5.
D.C. is the first city Bridj has expanded to outside Boston, but the company is very much in a growth phase Kelly said. According to a report by BostInno, the company is raising a Series A round of $10 million to $15 million at a $60 million valuation. The company has previously raised $5 million in venture capital.
Bridj may do quite well in D.C. judging by the complaints made about WMATA all the time and it focus on commuting when ride-sharing apps can be more expensive. An alternative may be just what people are looking for, especially with the weather we've had lately, something the company seems to be well aware of.
"We'll be down there before the snow melts," Kelly said.
