uberPOOL Makes a Splash in Toronto

January 2016 Update: uberPOOL is back in Toronto! Get all the details here.

As part of Uber’s commitment to keep Toronto moving during the Pan Am Games, we launched a two-week trial of uberPOOL for commuters and visitors to our city, which ended on July 26th.

The results were very encouraging; uberPOOL reduced congestion, lowered emissions, and saved money for riders while allowing drivers to earn more.

This experiment established Toronto as a global leader in using innovative technology to help fight congestion – we are the the sixth city in the world to have access to uberPOOL.

As we continue to evaluate the results from this exciting experiment, we look forward to bringing uberPOOL back to Toronto permanently in an effort to lower congestion and emissions and decrease the cost of on-demand transportation.

Some highlights of uberPOOL in Toronto, July 14-26:

• 17,500 Toronto residents and visitors used uberPOOL
• uberPOOL trips were concentrated in the congested downtown core and along HOV routes (see figure 1)
• Passengers selected uberPOOL most frequently during peak commuter rush hours
• uberPOOL resulted in >37,000km of multiple occupancy trips, lowering emissions and congestion
• Passengers saved an average of 20% off uberX prices by using uberPOOL
• uberPOOL was a popular choice to access all parts of the city (see figure 2)
• uberX drivers earnings increased by 10% per trip by participating in uberPOOL

Figure 1: uberPOOL increases use of HOV lanes and reduces congestion in the downtown core

Figure 2: uberPOOL trips begin and end in all parts of the city

As a reminder, uberPOOL is carpooling through the Uber app. It allows riders to share their ride and the cost with another rider who is taking a similar route. uberPOOL offers all the safety, reliability, and comfort of uberX at lower prices.

Figure 3: uberPOOL sample trip