Uber Pool Vs. Via: Which NYC Ride-Sharing Service Reigns Supreme?

NEW YORK, NY — Ride-sharing has exploded in New York City. The streets are teeming with drivers working for services such as Uber and Lyft just waiting for New Yorkers to cry out, "I can't bear taking the subway right now."

Patch recently tested four car services — Uber, Lyft, Via and the good ol' yellow cab — in a head-to-head race from the Upper East Side to the World Trade Center. But now we're pitting four ride-sharing services against each other.

This time the format is a bit different. Instead of a four-way head-to-head matchup, Patch is going to test services against each other in a bracket-style tournament. The rules of the ride will be the same — passengers will order their respective rides at Third Avenue and East 86th Street at the same time heading to the same place. Whoever's car gets to the World Trade Center the fastest will be declared the winner.

The contestants: Uber Pool, Lyft Line, Via and Curb.

In Patch's first matchup Uber Pool faced off against Via. Patch reporter Noah Manskar took these rides starting around 10 a.m. on two Thursday mornings one week apart.

Via

Price: $10.83 fare and $1.99 tip

Pickup wait: 12 minutes

Pickup location: Second Avenue and 87th Street

Drop-off time: 10:45 a.m.

Trip time: 28 minutes, plus three-minute walk to 1 World Trade Center

Drop-off location: Corner of Church Street and Dey Street

It took about 12 minutes for my Via to pick me up at the corner of Second Avenue and 87th Street. The walk from Third Avenue and 86th Street killed a few minutes, but I had to wait on the corner for a while.

The driver, Christopher T., pulled up in a black Mercedes van at 10:17 a.m. A song with Selena Gomez was playing on the radio when I got in. The van had plenty of leg room and a slight odor of Febreeze. Christopher navigated with the Via app on a Samsung tablet; he also had another maps app open on a smartphone.

We picked up another passenger at 80th Street and Second Avenue, an easy stop that only took a few seconds. I moved to the van’s back row to give the other rider more space. He ended up getting out first, not far from my destination.

The ride was relatively smooth until the driver sped through a bumpy section of the FDR Drive. Congested Lower Manhattan traffic stretched out the end of the trip. The car felt stuffy at a standstill, but a nice breeze came through the front windows when it was moving.

Christopher dropped me at the corner of Church and Dey streets, across from the Oculus, about 28 minutes later at 10:45 a.m. It took about three minutes more to walk to 1 World Trade Center.

The ride cost $12.82, including the $9.95 base fare, 88 cents in tax and a $1.99 tip.

Uber Pool

Price: $11.93 fare and $3.08 tip

Pickup wait: About 2 minutes

Pickup location: Third Avenue and 86th Street

Drop-off time: 10:29 a.m.

Trip time: 27 minutes, plus one-minute walk to 1 World Trade Center

Drop-off location: Corner of West Street and Vesey Street

I only had to wait roughly two minutes for my Uber Pool ride to pick me up across the street from where I hailed. The driver, Ulugbek, rolled up in a Toyota sedan at about 10:02 a.m. J. Cole was playing on the radio when I got in the car, which had a slight odor of air freshener.

I got lucky with this trip — we didn't pick up anyone else on the way downtown, so I had the entire back seat of the clean car to myself. Ulugbek got on the FDR Drive, using an iPhone to navigate.

The ride on the highway was smooth even as it started to rain, but traffic was worse than on my Via trip. A breeze through the front windows helped relieve the car's stuffiness when we were in motion, but the windows eventually closed once the showers picked up.

Ulugbek went underneath Battery Park and onto West Street. We chatted about the traffic and the rain. He dropped me near Vesey Street at 10:29 a.m. just past the entrance to One World Observatory, noting that no standing was allowed in front of the tower. It took about a minute to walk to the building.

The ride cost $15.01, including the $11.93 fare and a $3.08 tip.

The Verdict

The Via ride was cheaper and I appreciated the leg room in the spacious van. But Uber Pool picked me up more quickly and gave me a smoother ride that took a little less time.

- Noah Manskar

The Winner: Uber Pool

Do you agree with our verdict? Let us know in the comments. And check in next week for round two, featuring Lyft Line and Curb.

Photo by Shutterstock