Uber reports on adoption of in-app transit ticketing in Denver

Smartphone with travel options
TRANSIT OPTIONS: Uber Transit enables journey planning and in-app ticketing

Uber’s move into transit ticketing has resulted in a “strong initial performance” with more than 1,200 Regional Transportation District (RTD) tickets sold through the Uber app since the service launched in Denver in May and growth “averaging 42% each week during the rollout period”.

Initially available to “a small cohort of users”, Uber rolled out transit ticketing support to all its users in Denver on 25 June.

Nearly two-thirds of the tickets sold have been for local rides, Uber reports, with regional rides – including trips to and from Denver International Airport – accounting for 23% of purchases.

The number of tickets sold on Uber Transit have increased every week, Uber says, reaching a total of “over 200 weekly tickets as of the last week of June”.

The number of repeat ticket purchases using Uber Transit has also increased every week, it adds.

“As of the week of June 24, approximately 25% of tickets sold were purchased by users who had previously purchased tickets on the app.”

Uber Transit consists of two components: journey planning, which launched in Denver in January 2019 and is now also available in London and in Boston, and in-app ticketing, which is currently only available in Denver.

“Since Uber Transit journey planning launched in January, Uber trips in Denver that start or end at a transit station have grown 11.6%,” Uber says.

“These are commonly called first- and last-mile trips, referring to the portions of a journey that individuals complete on their own, with transit at the core of the trip.”

“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,” says RTD CEO Dave Genova.

“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 travellers who take Uber after seeing that RTD is available to them, being made aware of our services ultimately broadens our reach.”

“Initial numbers show riders are using the Uber platform to plan their commutes from end-to-end, using a variety of transportation options,” Uber head of transit David Reich explains.

“We’re using this data and insights from Denver to inform the Uber Transit experience in London, Boston and other future cities.”

“Removing the friction associated with paying and using your phone as a ticket is key to encouraging more people to use public transit,” adds Jonathan Donovan, chief product officer at technology supplier Masabi.

“Eleven per cent of RTD mobile ticketing customers had not used the transit agency’s bus and train services until they had downloaded the RTD Mobile Tickets app. We strongly believe that the ability to purchase transit tickets within the Uber app in Denver will have a positive impact on ridership numbers as paying and travelling is made easier, leading more people to leave their cars at home and ride transit.”

“Now that availability has reached 100% of Denver, Uber and RTD are ramping up marketing efforts throughout the region to increase awareness of Uber Transit,” the companies say.

“In addition to train cars wrapped with Uber Transit imagery, riders will also see electronic information displays at RTD stations, materials aboard the transit agency’s entire fleet of vehicles, social media, emails, and notifications within the Uber app.”

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