Uber is introducing
It claims that there are a few new options for riders that will save them money. Route Share is a new option that can only be described by saying that Uber Pool and buses were born together (though Uber has already reinvented shuttle buses several times). It offers pickups at certain locations “along busy corridors” once every 20 minutes, but only during rush hour on weekdays. You can save 50 percent on UberX by treating Uber as a bus. You walk to the pickup location, and then get dropped off at a designated spot near your destination. The Pool feature is that you may be riding with up to two others.
Route Share allows you to book a seat up to 10 minutes in advance. The option is available on weekdays from 6AM to 10:00AM and 4:00PM to 8:00PM in New York City and Philadelphia. It will soon be available in Dallas, Baltimore, San Francisco, Chicago and more cities.
Uber has also launched two different ride passes. A price lock pass and a pre-paid option. The price lock pass allows you to pay $3 in order to reserve a certain cost for a particular ride. Uber will not charge you for the difference if you find the ride to be cheaper. A price lock pass can be used on up to ten different routes per month. This pass is currently available in cities such as Chicago, Dallas Las Vegas, Miami, and San Francisco, but it should be available to the rest the US very soon.
There’s also the prepaid pass that allows you to pay for multiple trips all at once. You can buy a series of trips for a particular route, such as if you regularly take Uber to your partner’s place or work. The passes are valid for 30 days, or $50 in savings if you reach that threshold first. Uber will get a guarantee that you’ll use the service if you buy five, ten, fifteen or twenty rides at once. In return, you receive a discount. Both passes will be available to teens in the fall. Update, May 14, 2025, 2:17PM ET In an earlier version of the headline of this article, Uber’s new offering was referred to as “Ride Shares” rather than “Route Share.”
