Via helps launch SafeRide at University of Wyoming, marks anniversaries of service in North Carolina and Texas

An enhanced version of a tech-enabled transportation service, SafeRide, has been released by the University of Wyoming to offer free rides within the Laramie city limits.

The updated SafeRide service combines the former LaramieLink Dial-a-Ride service into the same booking and dispatching flow as SafeRide to create one consolidated, convenient travel experience for all riders while also providing extended hours. Previously, LaramieLink riders were only picked up and dropped off at designated points of interest, and SafeRide focused on serving late-night trips near downtown.

The service also includes the UWYO SafeRide app, which is powered by Via, as well as an ADA-compliant paratransit offering, which allows both prebooking and on-demand booking to ensure that all riders in Laramie have equal access to mobility.

“The ultimate goal of the new SafeRide is to use technology to create a flexible transportation option for students and Laramie residents,” said Paul Kunkel, director of UW Transportation Services. “The updated service includes improved aggregation for shared rides, which also supports the university’s sustainability goals and reduces emissions and traffic congestion on and near campus.”

RIDE – Wilson, N.C.

The Wilson, N.C., community will celebrate the second anniversary of the on-demand shared public transit service, RIDE, in September 2022. RIDE launched in 2020 with the goal of using technology to expand access to equitable and flexible mobility. After two years of service, carrying 260,000 rides and expanding public transit coverage in the city from 40 percent to 100 percent – the program has proven itself.

Recent rider survey data has indicated that RIDE provides a critical transportation service for lower-income and transit-dependent riders — 90 percent reported they do not have a car, almost half earn less than $25,000 annually and more than one-third do not have access to a smartphone.

“I would like to thank Wilson RIDE and its partners for making the past two years such a success story,” said U.S. Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D-NC-01). “Wilson RIDE is a true example of 21st century transportation, and I look forward to seeing how other communities in North Carolina follow in Wilson's footsteps to use technology to improve access to equitable, efficient public transportation. I am proud of Wilson for pioneering the future of rural public transportation.”

Denton County GoZone

Celebrating its one-year anniversary in September is Denton County Transportation Authority’s (DCTA) on-demand transit service, GoZone, which has provided 527,000 low-cost, flexible rides to residents, visitors and workers in Denton, Highland Village, Lewisville and Castle Hills.

GoZone was launched with the goal of using flexible technology to expand the community’s access to equitable public transportation, in the most cost-effective way possible:

• 80 percent of GoZone trips are to-and-from essential destinations like grocery stores, healthcare, schools, workplaces, social services or other transit hubs.
• 42 percent of survey respondents report their income as less than $25,000, 44 percent identify as people of color and 73 percent do not own a personal car.

Via reports ridership demand for GoZone has been strong with current rides numbering more than 67,000 trips per month.