Getting around Mountain View in the middle of the day will soon be a little easier -- or at least, cheaper.
A new program starting this month will give riders a $5 discount for using ridesharing services through Lyft and Uber for midday trips.
The new discount program is being spearheaded by MVgo, the free weekday shuttle program established by the Mountain View Transportation Management Association.
While the MVgo shuttles are free, they travel only during commute hours between the city's downtown transit center and the North Bayshore area. The new promotion with Lyft and Uber is meant to help riders who need to get around town between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when the shuttles aren't operating. Riders who participate will receive a discount of up to $5 per trip.
In order to receive the discount, riders must request a shared rider from Lyft or Uber and enter the promotional code "MVGO2019." This discount will only apply for shared rides, not solo rides. Riders can receive the discount on a maximum to 10 shared trips.
The new ride-sharing discounts are being described as a new effort to encourage commuters to use shared rides and alternative transportation. The program is being tested as a pilot that will last for at least three months.
In related news, the Mountain View Transportation Management Association is hosting a booth with free snacks and coffee at the downtown transit center from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on April 24 in celebration of Earth Awareness Month.
More information about the programs can be found at MVgo.org.
Comments
Sylvan Park
on Apr 2, 2019 at 2:08 pm
on Apr 2, 2019 at 2:08 pm
Although convenient, Lift and Uber do not make the traffic better. Actually, they add the traffic because Uber or Lift has to arrive to the customer first (so it will drive w/o any passenger)
Old Mountain View
on Apr 2, 2019 at 2:12 pm
on Apr 2, 2019 at 2:12 pm
Money to burn.
Registered user
another community
on Apr 2, 2019 at 2:49 pm
Registered user
on Apr 2, 2019 at 2:49 pm
Can we use this opportunity to stop the Uber/Lyft driver from double parking, and stopping in the middle of Castro to load and unload passengers? That would help traffic on our streets and make our roads safer for everyone that uses them.
Old Mountain View
on Apr 2, 2019 at 3:50 pm
on Apr 2, 2019 at 3:50 pm
The program only applies to carpool rides (more than one passenger in addition to the driver), so maybe it will reduce traffic. The regular Lyft/Uber rides with a solo passenger are terrible for traffic, in addition the double parking and blocking bike lanes problems.
Monta Loma
on Apr 3, 2019 at 8:46 am
on Apr 3, 2019 at 8:46 am
Ive noticed there are now city signs labled Lyft & Uber parking/pick-up only spots in Mt. View just off of Castro St. Are Lyft and Uber paying for this? What will happen if I park there? Will this become a trend where Mt. View starts selling off street parking to corporations?
Old Mountain View
on Apr 3, 2019 at 4:31 pm
on Apr 3, 2019 at 4:31 pm
When you add the code in the Lyft app you can see a map of the area covered by this code. Besides Mountain View, it encompasses most of Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, and Menlo Park and portions of Santa Clara. It is not clear whether your trip has to start or end in Mountain View for the code to work