As the largest rail commuter advocacy group in the tri-state region, the Commuter Action Group is helping to introduce a new smart-phone app for Metro-North riders with added functionality for “the first and final mile” of commuting.
“Getting to and from the train station is often the toughest part of a daily commute,” says Jim Cameron, founder of the Commuter Action Group. “With 5 – 6 year waiting lists for station parking permits, it’s exciting to see that the on-demand ride sharing service Uber is tapping this new market. In Connecticut they’ve already found that a quarter of their customers start or end their journey near a train station. And to make that ‘first / final mile’ connection even simpler, they’re embedding Uber functionality into the best new rail commuter app in years, Passenger.
Developed by two millennial brothers from Westchester, Andrew and Sam Drozdov, Passenger is a free, easy to use smart-phone app that helps commuters find their next train and order an Uber to get to / from the station.
Here is how it works:
- Metro-North riders need to download the new “Passenger” app (available for iOS with Android coming soon), and enter the train stations they will be leaving from and arriving at.
- After entering this information, the app will show a list of train times. They can click on the time they prefer.
- A new screen will tell when the train leaves, the track number, how many stops there are along the route, and updates on delays.
- There is also an embedded option in the “Passenger” app called "Ride there with Uber." Once the user clicks on this, the Uber app will open. They can enter their departure train station (i.e. Grand Central) in the destination field and request an Uber ride to that station. Or if they’re heading home, on arrival at their destination station, they can also request an Uber through the “Passenger” app to get a ride to their home or place of work.
“I’ve been testing the Passenger app for some time," says Cameron. “I’ve found it fast, accurate and reliable. Unlike Metro-North’s Train Time app which crashes almost weekly, Passenger actually works, and the embedded Uber functionality is flawless.
The app also has some neat features like an alarm, the ability to forward your ETA to a friend and a weather update. Passenger was clearly designed by commuters and answers our needs. And the icing on the cake is the Uber service, an attractive alternative to expensive parking or even having your spouse pick you up at the station."
As a special offer to Metro-North commuters, Uber is offering a $20 credit for new customers to encourage them to try the service. Just download the Passenger and Uber apps and use the promo code RIDEMNR.
