A Denver Suburb Bets Big on Free Lyft Rides to Light Rail

Dial-a-ride services have long been one of the most common answers to transit’s “first-and-last-mile” problem, especially in low-density areas underserved by buses and trains. Travelers who can’t walk to a station can schedule a van ride to transport them there or some other fixed point, at no or little cost to them.

These programs can be beneficial for seniors, disabled riders, and folks who otherwise can’t afford or choose not to drive. But dial-a-ride isn’t a particularly efficient system: Riders frequently must schedule pick-ups several days in advance, and agencies find the services expensive to run, because the ceiling is so low in terms of the number of riders they can attract. There are only so many bodies you can get onto a 10-seat bus over the course of a day.