Arlington will expand its on-demand public transit service, Via Rideshare, citywide on Jan. 19, reaching all neighborhoods, shopping centers, offices, restaurants, medical facilities and other key destinations.
The service area currently covers 41% of the city, including the CentrePort TRE Station, which will continue to be covered under the new service map, the city said. In 2017, Arlington and Via launched Via Rideshare, becoming one of the first cities in the country to use on-demand technology as primary public transportation.
Now in its fourth year, the service, provided through a network of vans, continues to provide a transit offering that is free from fixed routes and schedules. Via’s platform routes passengers in real time to “virtual bus stops.”
"Every city in America is looking at ways to improve public transportation and mayors across the country continue to recognize Arlington’s rideshare program with Via as the gold standard for transportation solutions," Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams said in a release.
"We are so excited about the citywide expansion and the difference that Via continues to make in our community. 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."
Riders can book a shared ride six days a week using a smartphone application or a dial-in phone number, 817-784-7382. The service operates between 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.
The service was recommended in a citizen-led Transportation Advisory Committee report to the Arlington City Council in 2017. More than 39,000 accounts have been created and more than 470,000 rides have been taken on Via Rideshare, the city said.
With the citywide expansion, a new fare structure will go into effect starting Feb. 15, “to better align the value of longer rides and a larger service area with the costs required to sustain the service,” the city said. The new fares will be based on trip distance, with a minimum of $3 per trip for rides up to 1.5 miles in length and a maximum of $5 per ride for trips over 6 miles in length.
The detailed pricing schedule is available on the City’s Via website. The exact fare will be quoted to the rider before booking a trip. “Trips to and from the CentrePort TRE Station will remain at the $3 flat fare rate, no matter the distance from the point of origin,” the city said.
The weekly ViaPass, which allows for up to four trips per day, Monday through Saturday, will increase to $25 from $15 per pass.
The new fare structure:
- 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