Who says New Yorkers don’t like to share?
Written byAlmost 1 year ago we introduced uberPOOL—our carpool option that allows riders traveling on a similar route to share their rides (and the cost).
When we first launched uberPOOL in New York, we knew we’d be facing a big challenge. Getting New Yorkers to be comfortable with sharing their rides wouldn’t be easy—especially at first. We also knew that uberPOOL could be a powerful tool in helping to reduce congestion in our city, so we we invested heavily in discounts and promotions to encourage people to try POOL and see how easy sharing an Uber could be.
Now it’s paying off.
Since Labor Day, uberPOOL has taken off, and for the first time, tens of thousands of New Yorkers are sharing their rides with another person each week. During the last week of October alone, almost 50,000 New Yorkers shared their ride with somebody through uberPOOL—a new Uber NYC record. That’s more than double the number of shared rides from just 2 months ago.
More New Yorkers sharing their rides means less traffic. Last week more than 60,000 miles of car travel on city streets were eliminated by matched uberPOOL trips.
New Yorkers are buying into POOL because sharing a ride means sharing the cost. Currently uberPOOL rides are 25% cheaper than a taxi or uberX.
We surveyed our NYC POOL riders and asked what sharing their ride was really like. Here is what they told us:
“I met a woman at Beacon’s closet in Bushwick while doing some shopping (I’m a stylist). She was very helpful. A few months later, I requested uberPOOL during Fashion Week, and as soon as she got in, she was like, ‘I know you!’ I thought she was crazy until she told me that she worked at Beacon’s. We chatted the whole way back and had common ground because we’re both super busy during Fashion Week. She was a freelance stylist and gave me her number. I texted her asking if she needed help. She asked me to swing by her office because she needed help on a photoshoot and a few different jobs.”
– Storm
“I was heading out really early (around 6am) to LGA, when we picked up Zhu. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to talk because it was my first uberPOOL experience. She started chatting with me, and it turns out she was a classical pianist but now works as a consultant. I work at Carnegie Hall and I’m a classical musician. I play the French Horn. We had a great conversation and she invited me to the lounge at LGA to have a nice breakfast. She travels a lot, but when she’s back in NYC, we get together. She’s interested in the music business, so we have a lot to talk about. And her consulting firm is across the street from Carnegie Hall.”
– Kathryn
“I work in commercial real estate and I got matched with someone going from UES to Midtown Manhattan. We both grew up in Westchester and worked in the same business. She said, ‘I really should introduce you to my friend.’ The friend texted me and I said, ‘Hey, let’s get a drink.’ Yet another way to date in this city. I use uberPOOL because it’s cheaper and I have no problem meeting people.”
– I.S.