How Arlington Via ride share users are getting around, according to rider data

Arlington city government is getting a clearer picture of how people use its ride share service, Via, since it expanded citywide in January.

The service offers rides for residents anywhere in the city and CentrePort TRE from $3 to $5. Via launched in Arlington in late 2017 in high-demand areas such as the entertainment district, airport station and UT Arlington. The ride share area expanded incrementally before launching citywide in mid-January and has been heralded as a cost-efficient transportation option that can adapt to ride share demand.

Via drivers have conducted 130,749 rides since the city’s expansion, with the majority of rides falling within previously existing service areas. Just 20.4% of the rides began or ended in a previously uncovered area, which Alicia Winkelblech, senior strategic initiatives officer, said may be a data point to monitor as a sign the city needs to better publicize the service or make other adjustments.

”I think we still need to watch that data, but this is what we’re seeing early on,” Winkelblech said.

Along with expanding citywide, leaders also approved a metered pay scale that caps out at $5 instead of a $3 flat rate. However, average rides sit just below $4, and trip lengths have averaged around 4.24 miles.

Ride share data over time will help the city assess how to improve the service, as well as work with other localities for inter-city transportation, said Mayor Jeff Williams.

”The data that we are gathering now is going to help us be more efficient,” he said.

Via drivers have conducted 603,320 rides since launching in 2017, and riders wait around 12 minutes for their driver, according to data. Those interested in the service can book a ride from the Via mobile application or by calling 817-784-7382.

Expanding services, options

The demand and metrics behind Via also served as a backdrop for larger conversations surrounding transportation around the city and the region for a municipality that has traditionally eschewed traditional public transportation methods.

Williams said the city is discussing partnership options with Trinity Metro in Fort Worth on a rapid transit bus line that stops in the entertainment district. However, Williams said, he was frank about the $70 million price tag for the agreement that the city would foot.

He was also unsure, Williams said, about the viability of lane reductions that a hyperloop would require, especially if shared Via rides can take vehicles off the road all the same.

“We have spent a meager amount of money yet we’re moving citizens around better than any city in the Metroplex because of Via,” Williams said.

District 4 council member Andrew Piel said he had spoken about Via to officials municipalities and possible partnerships that would allow riders to travel outside of the city using the service. District 8 council member Dr. Barbara Odom-Wesley asked to revisit a 2017 Transportation Advisory Committee that suggested additional means of transit.

Winkelblech said her office and the city are always considering other transportation options.

“Via was the first step to get a citywide network for citywide connectivity for everyone,” Winkelblech said.