Denver set to be the first to integrate public transport services in Uber app

Credit: Regional Transportation District

Following a partnership with Uber, the Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Denver will be the first transit agency to benefit from an integrated public transport experience, meaning users can view and consider public transport routes when using the Uber app.

Alongside this, Uber and RTD will soon be offering the ability to purchase transit mobile tickets directly in the app, powered by Masabi’s Justride mobile ticketing SDK.

“Our customers want their trips to be as seamless as possible, and a collaboration like this one allows them to plan for travel from end to end, including additional first mile and last mile options,” RTD CEO and General Manager, Dave Genova, said. “RTD is pleased to work with Uber as we present riders with additional, complementary options to most efficiently reach their destination.”

Masabi first launched mobile ticketing services for RTD in the fall of 2017, with the popular RTD Mobile Tickets app, and this new functionality will further enhance the rider experience, enabling more seamless and convenient journeys. Urban mobility providers, like journey planners and bike and ride-sharing services, will be able to integrate mobile ticketing into their applications.

“This is Uber’s first in-app integration with public transit, and we’re excited it’s happening in Denver, thanks to our partnership with RTD,” said David Reich, Uber’s Head of Transit. “Uber shares many of the same goals as the cities we serve, and our team is committed to addressing the same challenges: reducing individual car ownership, expanding transportation access with more options and working with transit agencies to innovate.”

This launch will help Uber users to more easily discover and access My_tickets public transit services, whilst making multimodal journeys using shared private and public transit options easier and more accessible.

Brian Zanghi, CEO of Masabi, said: “Uber paved the way for a new paradigm in urban mobility, and we’re tremendously excited to power seamless connectivity between Uber’s options and public transit, reducing the number of private cars on the road and enabling more on-demand transportation.”

Multimodal journeys, combining public transit and private ride-share options, are already a popular choice among riders, with a 2018 Masabi survey finding 35 per cent of people with access to public transit combine it with ride-sharing on at least an occasional basis. With transit options being more seamlessly connected in the Uber app it will be easier and more convenient for riders in Denver to move away from private car journeys.