Uber adds Boston public transport information into app

Following the success of the launch of this feature in other cities, Uber has begun including transit information in its apps to give passengers a choice of how to travel. Boston is the third city to have the in app transit options, following Denver and London. 

Similarly to requesting an Uber, passengers put in their destination and, along with the cars which are nearby, the route via public transport is visible. 

“We are excited to give our riders in Boston a seamless way to access mass transit right from their app,” Uber’s Head of Transit David Reich told WBUR. “We know that Uber and the cities in which we operate share many of the same goals: reducing congestion, expanding access to transportation and tackling air pollution, and we look forward to continuing to partner with the MBTA and MassDOT to achieve those goals.”

The hope is that presenting this information in one place will encourage more people to take public transport which will in turn reduce congestion around the city. Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities reported that ride-hailing trips have increased by 25 per cent in 2018, for the same period from the previous year, to 81.3 million rides across Massachusetts.

“The MBTA partnered with Uber to provide this new convenience as a means to provide our customers with the most efficient transportation choices to make those whether with public transport or Uber or both,” Danny Levy, Chief Customer Officer for MBTA, told the Boston Globe.