Capital Metro has announced it will expand its free ride-hailing pilot program Pickup beginning Oct 2. The service will begin to operate Monday to Saturdays, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Pickup by Cap Metro is scheduled to operate until May 2018.
Starting in October, Pickup will not only extend its operating hours but also add MLK Station to its service zone, giving MetroRail riders the opportunity to get to and from the station easily. The on-demand vehicles will continue to serve the area from the intersection of Manor Rd. and Airport Blvd. to the I-35 access road north of Rutherford.
Launched in June, Pickup by Cap Metro currently operates Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The popular service reached six-month ridership goals within its first two months of service. With the addition of MetroRail’s MLK Station to its service zone, the transit agency is looking to test Pickup’s effectiveness as a first-mile, last-mile solution.
To access the service, riders need to download the app from their app store (both iOS and Android), register for an account and request a trip from their pickup point at a time they want and to a destination of their choosing. Their trip will then be matched with other travelers heading to the same destination, and the Pickup vehicle will arrive within 15 minutes. Riders without access to the smartphone app can call 512-369-6200.
The Pickup app was developed in partnership with Via, which operates on-demand ridesharing platforms in New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C., and licenses its technology to transportation providers globally.
