Arlington's public transportation options are expanding, with its on-demand transit service, Via Rideshare, now operating citywide.
Via Rideshare, which at first only covered about 41 percent of Arlington, began servicing the entire city on Tuesday. Similar to Uber, Via has riders book a shared ride through a smartphone app (or by calling 817-784-7382), directs them to a virtual bus stop just a couple blocks away, then picks up and drops off passengers at their desired destination.
Additionally, Via continues to pick up and drop off riders at the CentrePort TRE Station as part of Arlington’s Enhance Regional Mobility strategy.
"We are so excited about the citywide expansion and the difference that Via continues to make in our community," Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams said in a statement. "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."
The city first partnered with Via in 2017, as recommended by the citizen-led Transportation Advisory Committee, which touted the service as an efficient and cost-effective public transportation solution. Arlington became one of the first cities in the U.S. to use on-demand technology as its primary method of public transit.
Since Via Rideshare's launch, more than 39,000 accounts have been created, and more than 470,000 rides have been taken. Before the citywide expansion, the Via service area encompassed 65% of the total jobs in the city; and, per the City of Arlington, congestion reduced by more than 400,000 vehicle miles, representing a 36% reduction in total vehicle miles traveled for those passengers.
According to the city, other benefits of Via (aside from increasing mobility for those unable to drive a private vehicle) include more flexible routes and schedules, as well as reduced costs and environmental impact.
The city can also easily scale service up or down based on data about ridership demands, according to City Manager Trey Yelverton. Arlington found itself scaling service back last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saving roughly $1 million in expected costs for 2020.
“We are able to track point-to-point pick-ups and drop-offs, fare revenue and whether they were shared rides. This data allows us to refine our service almost on a daily basis as we learn how our service is being consumed by the public,” Yelverton said in a statement. “The data tells us if we have too much or too little capacity, and we can scale our operation to better optimize service.”
As the service expands citywide, Via Rideshare will also implement a new fare structure, which goes into effect Feb. 15. New fare rates are as follows:
- 0 – 1.5 miles: $3
- 1.5 – 3 miles: $3.50
- 3 – 4.5 miles: $4
- 4.5 – 6 miles: $4.50
- Over 6 miles: $5
Detailed pricing and other information is available at arlingtontx.gov/via.