Town near Toronto saves $8M in public transit by partnering with Uber

A town near Toronto has saved more than $8 million in public transit thanks to a partnership with Uber.

As Canada’s first ridesharing and transit partnership, Innisfil and Uber announced an expansion, adding two new flat fare destinations and a renewed financial commitment.

Uber and Innisfil co-designed Innisfil Transit to offer residents flat fare rides (for $3-5) to popular destinations like the Recreation Complex, the Barrie GO Station, or the Innisfil Heights Employment Area.

A standard $5 discount is applied to any other door-to-door Innisfil Transit rides beginning or ending anywhere else within the town.

Innisfil Transit logo revealed kicking off stage 2 of Canada’s first ridesharing-transit partnership. #innisfil #ridesharing #uber #innisfiltransit pic.twitter.com/Z1ou9d2Wta

— Town of Innisfil (@townofinnisfil) March 15, 2018

According to Uber, the partnership was launched in May 2017, and in the first 8 months, over 3,400 residents completed more than 26,700 Innisfil Transit trips. Additionally, the company said that over 1,300 drivers have made money by helping people get around their community.

“This means that more people are using the service than it was anticipated would use a bus—and at a lower cost to the town,” states a press release.

The Town estimates that through the partnership, it is saving more than $8 million per year based on what an equivalent door-to-door bus system across all of Innisfil could cost.

“Innisfil Transit has had a major impact on our community, providing residents with a safe, convenient and inexpensive door-to-door transit solution that a bus system could never provide,” said Innisfil Mayor Gord Wauchope. “Innisfil Transit has undoubtedly changed the lives of our residents for the better.”

Together with the @townofinnisfil, we built a transportation system to fit the community. This is Innisfil Transit—Canada’s first ridesharing and transit partnership 🇨🇦🚗: https://t.co/ms7B30YL6H pic.twitter.com/lmySSuKUGH

— Uber Canada (@Uber_Canada) March 15, 2018

Innisfil is about 45 minutes north of Toronto, and is described as a “growing community,” with a population of approximately 36,500 people.

Its new transit was tailor-made for the municipality, and Uber says that it’s eager to work with other municipalities to build new solutions to address their community’s specific transportation challenges.

“Innisfil Transit is seen around the world as an example of how out-of-the-box thinking, mixed with an appetite for innovation, can have a positive impact on people’s lives.” said Rob Khazzam, Uber Canada General Manager. “We are thrilled with the results to date and even more heartened by the stories we’ve heard from residents on how the service has changed the Town for the better.”

Sure sounds like a nice alternative to the TTC.

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