The city of Arlington is expanding its on-demand public transit program, Via.
Since 2018, the city has used this ridesharing service instead of buses, but it served only the central and northern parts of the city. Now, the service is available to all 99 square miles of the city, plus the CentrePort TRE Station.
Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams comparedthe system to Uber or Lyft, ride-hailing services that allow customers to order a ride using a smartphone app and a credit card. In Arlington, Via uses six-passenger vans, and passengers share the ride with other customers.
Ride costs range from $3 to $5 depending on how far you need to go. The first five rides are free for new users through June 1.
The detailed pricing schedule is available on the city’s website. The exact rate will be quoted to the rider before booking a trip. Trips to and from the CentrePort TRE Station will remain the $3 flat fare rate, no matter the distance from the point of origin. The weekly ViaPass, which allows for up to four trips per day, Monday through Saturday, will increase from $15 to $25 per pass.
First launched in New York City in September 2013, Via operates in New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C., providing more than 1.5 million rides per month. Via also licenses its on-demand transit technology to transportation operators globally.