LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Commutes can be complicated, but a new partnership is hoping to streamline the process. TARC and other public transportation agencies just debuted a new app to coordinate travel around the city.
"Our goal is to move the city. We move the city,” TARC Executive Director Ferdinand Risco said.
It's the mission of TARC and the approach with this app. It's called Mobility As A Service or MAAS for short. Riders can map out their miles and use different services for each stop of their trip if they want. You just type in your destination and the options appear.
"Out of the 55,000 folks that we move every day, 63 percent of them are going to work. So, this allows the first and last mile connectivity,” Risco said.
For example, you can take a scooter or bike to your bus stop instead of walking or taking another bus and having to open other apps.
"You can reduce your transfers and save some money,” Risco said.
The app lets you choose from Bird, Lime, Lyft, Uber, LouVelo and TARC. The agency said choosing collaboration over competition can make all the difference for customers.
"It doesn't matter. Whatever your trip plan requires, we're here to help you do that in one single platform,” Risco said. "That is if your trip is 100% TARC-reliant or if it includes any other mode of transportation."
The app goes beyond transportation, too. You can also check out entertainment venues, restaurants, and other attractions along your route.
"We want to make sure we are providing the most convenient way for our customers to plan their trip and get around the city,” Risco said. "TARC is moving away from being just a transit agency, and we want to be a mobility solutions provider. So, however you want to move through the city, we want to be able to provide those mobility options for you.”
You can download the app for free right now on both Apple and Android. TARC said it's hoping this will increase ridership and accessibility for everyone in the metro.