UBER APP WILL LET RIDERS IN DENVER BUY RTD TICKETS

Riders in Denver will soon be able to buy tickets for public transportation using the Uber app, the latest step on the ride-hailing company’s mission to become a one-stop shop for transportation.

Potential Uber riders will see a transit option alongside UberX and Black, along with the price and trip duration, and will be able to purchase a ticket for the bus or train instead of hailing an Uber.

“This is the first time we are offering forms of transportation that are run by completely different agencies in the Uber app,” David Reich, Uber’s head of transit, said in an interview. “This is a big step forward toward us realizing that ‘Amazon of transportation’ vision that Dara (Khosrowshahi, CEO) has been out there talking about for over a year now.”

Uber announced Thursday it will roll out the feature to Denver customers over the next few weeks.

But Denver officials are hoping their relationship with Uber will increase ridership by exposing the transit agency to new customers such as airport travelers who don’t know about the service.

“We know that people want convenience. We know they’re wanting to think about end-to-end travel,” said Laurie Huff, spokeswoman for Denver’s Regional Transportation District. “So if we can work with companies like Uber or Lyft to put a trip together in a way that makes sense, that’s a very good thing.”

Lyft also shows potential riders transit prices and times on its app in Denver, but it does not currently offer the ability to buy tickets.