Phoenix voters approved the city's Transportation 2050 plan, a package which includes more frequent bus service, road improvements, eventual light rail service and subsidizes Lyft rides: Lyft for public transit riders going to or coming from a stop.
Bus ridership is up in Phoenix and, to make service more appealing to some riders, the city will subsidize some transit riders' trips home from the bus stop. "Under Transportation 2050, bus service hours already have been extended and the frequency of buses has increased. That's credited with creating a 6% bump in bus ridership this year, at a time when most of the country is experiencing a downward trend," Katie Pyzyk writes for Smart Cities Dive.
The plan looks to address the so called "first mile, last mile problem," which posits that many avoid transit because they have trouble covering either the last mile of their travel or the first. "The city recognized that the popularity of ride-sharing likely won't diminish anytime soon, so it chose to harness the trend instead of fighting it," Pyzky reports.
FULL STORY: Lyft, Phoenix partner for 'First Mile Last Mile' rides to bus stops
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