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Uber, SHARE NOW and BIKETOWN are all available in TriMet’s new trip planner

Posted: 13 March 2019 | | No comments yet

TriMet tests a new trip planner in Portland, bringing together public transport, ride-sourcing, car-sharing and bike-sharing options.

TriMet has partnered with Uber, SHARE NOW and BIKETOWN to make travelling around the Portland metro area easier with a new trip planning tool.

The new beta version of TriMet’s planning tool incorporates Uber, SHARE NOW (formerly car2go) and BIKETOWN, using real-time locations of vehicles and bikes to plan a single trip using a mix of travel options. This currently includes TriMet buses and trains, Portland Streetcars, Portland Aerial Tram, Uber drivers, SHARE NOW locations and available BIKETOWN bikes, with more to be added in the future.

The new trip planner enables the user to search destinations using business names and landmarks in addition to streets and addresses.

“By partnering with private companies, TriMet makes it easier for people to get to where they need to go in the Portland metro area,” said TriMet’s Manager of Mobility & Location-Based Services, Bibiana McHugh. “The new trip planner will help our customers make informed decisions about their travel options, including the first and last parts of their trips where a bus or train alone doesn’t provide full access.”

Funded by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the tool enables passengers to plan multimodal trips, with the choice of public transport, ride-sourcing, car-sharing and bike-sharing.

Uber, SHARE NOW and BIKETOWN all available TriMet’s new trip planner

“We believe that ride-sharing and transit go hand-in-hand, which is why we’re honoured to be a part of TriMet’s new trip planner,” said Uber spokesperson, Nathan Hambley. “It will allow riders to more seamlessly integrate and plan end-to-end multimodal trips.”

Using the real-time location of buses and trains along with real-time availability of cars and bikes from private transportation companies, the tool pieces together single trips. If the trip planned includes Uber, the user is currently sent to the Uber app, however there are plans to combine planning, booking and paying in the trip planner.

“Mobility options shouldn’t exist in a vacuum,” said SHARE NOW Portland General Manager, Ken Hills. “Partnerships like TriMet’s multimodal trip planner give commuters the ability to choose and combine modes of transportation that work best for their trip, and we strongly believe these collaborations between public and private providers can open up useful new possibilities for people navigating the city. SHARE NOW is proud to work with other mobility services to move Portland – one trip at a time.”

The new trip planner is designed to be easily replicated by transit agencies in other cities. Since it uses open source technology and open data, other transit agencies could quickly adjust the trip planner for their system.

“We believe that this expanded, multimodal tool will show more and more Portland residents just how convenient, quick, and affordable bike-share can be – and by encouraging the use of more sustainable modes of transportation, we all win,” said BIKETOWN Market Manager, Dorothy Mitchell. “Congratulations to the TriMet team on this innovative new trip planner. It will truly move our metro area forward.”