Shared Ride App Expands To Evanston, Offers $3 Flat Rate

EVANSTON, IL — An on-demand shared ride-hailing service said it will begin offering shared rides in Evanston for a flat rate of $3 and has increased its service zone in and around Chicago by more than 20 percent.

As it begins offering service in Evanston, New York City-based Via is also expanding its Chicago service to the neighborhoods of Hermosa, Humbolt Park and Mayfair, the company announced Monday.

The firm's U.S. general manager said Via was delighted to be expanding its offerings in the area to offer better transportation access for students, workers and residents.

“At Via, our goal is to eliminate the need for private car ownership by providing affordable, convenient, and eco-friendly on-demand shared transportation that can seamlessly integrate into existing public transit infrastructure” said Alex Lavoie in a release.

Inspired by use of shared taxes in Israel and founded in 2012, Via said it aims to transport a larger volume of passengers with a fraction of the number of vehicles needed for taxis or its on-demand transportation competitors.

How does it work? Like other ride-hailing services, customers use a mobile app to set the locations where they want to be picked up and dropped off. The app then directs passengers to a nearby corner, which the company describes as a "virtual bus stop" to make shared trips quicker and more efficient by eliminating detours.

So far, the service is available in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. The company said it has established partnerships with cities in Texas, California and Washington to work toward making public transit a more dynamic and on-demand. It said its technology is also being used by public and private transportation agencies, taxi fleets and private companies.

Evanston, it said, is a strong use case for Via's ability to offer "first-and-last mile" transit, making it easier for commuters and residents to get to rail stations without needing to own their own car.

Last August, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced legal settlements with Via, as well as its larger competitors, to resolve allegations that the companies' background checks were insufficient. The companies made internal changes to their processes to bring them into compliance with the city's ordinance and provided money for youth mentoring programs as part of Chicago's violence prevention and public safety strategy. As part of the settlement, Via paid $62,500, while Uber paid $6.4 million and Lyft $4 million.

In a poll of Patch readers last year in New York City to determine the most popular shared ride service, Via came out on top, taking 29 percent of the vote compared to 25.4 percent each for its competitors' shared offerings — Uber Pool and Lyft Line.

Read more: Chicago 1st City To Publish Detailed, Standalone Rideshare Data