Photo by Mike
This story has been update with additional deals from transit services.
As D.C.-area residents brace themselves for Metrorail’s extended maintenance work, transportation companies are coming up with deals that they say will make it less stressful for commuters to get around the region.
Ahead of the SafeTrack launch next week, Uber kicked off its own year-long initiative yesterday as a way to mitigate expected traffic congestion (when Metro shut down for a day in March to conduct maintenance, Uber saw a 50 percent increase in drivers on the road).
The ride-sharing giant’s “Pooling Together” campaign includes a new site with information about outages as well as an extension of its existing UberPOOL option, which lets strangers ride together for lower fees. The service is being expanded to the entire D.C. region, instead of its previous coverage of the District, Arlington, Alexandria, and Reagan National and Dulles International airports.
Uber pledges to put at least $10 million into Pooling Together in order to keep options for riders affordable, the company said in a release.
Ride-sharing competitor Lyft is offering discounted rides, too, that fit into SafeTrack’s phases, according to a release. For a limited time, riders can get 75 percent off all Lyft Line trips (rides with strangers) in the company’s discount zone which includes Georgetown, Columbia Heights, Capitol Hill, and Navy Yard. The deal is available on weekdays from 7 a.m. until 10 a.m. and again from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Plus, riders who start or end their journeys in Northern Virginia can take 50 percent off their first five “Lyft Classic” rides on weekdays from June 6 until June 17 from 6 a.m. until 10 a.m. and again from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. Lyft is also offering a “deal of the week.” First up is 20 percent off rides between 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. from June 6 through June 12. Rides must originate in the D.C. coverage area.
And for the first time in nearly two years, car rental service car2go is offering free registration until June 19 to new members who use the promo code C2G15. Members normally pay a $35 registration fee to get access to the company’s two-door Smart cars. While the deal isn’t in direct response to SafeTrack, “the timing is perfect for commuters looking for alternate forms of transportation” during Metrorail’s maintenance, says car2go spokeswoman Dacyl Armendariz.
Car2go also rolled out cross-jurisdictional access today, meaning drivers can also pick up vehicle in D.C. and leave it in Arlington, and vice versa. Previously, the company offered one-way trips that were restricted to locations in the each jurisdiction.
For folks who decide to drive their own cars, Parking Panda is running a special for first-time customers during SafeTrack. New users can reserve a parking space at dozens of garages and lots throughout the city for $5 off using the code COMMUTEDC.
And for cyclists, BikeArlington is hosting “bike trains” that will lead riders on three morning commutes from East Falls Church to Rosslyn, plus another afternoon ride from Rosslyn to East Falls Church. Riders are asked to show up with their bike to any of the affected Metro stops and be ready to ride at designated take-off times. Meanwhile, Capital Bikeshare is offering 30-minute one-way trips for $2.
Lastly, Zipcar is “determining specifics” in regards to its plan to combat Metro maintenance. What they do know is that they will add more cars based on demand and they “plan to expand our service with additional locations, vehicles and product enhancements throughout the summer,” according to Zipcar spokesperson Lindsay Wester. Currently, the car rental service has more than 800 vehicles available throughout the District.
