Expanding its City Solutions mobility assistance program unveiled last year in San Francisco, Ford has announced its crowd-sourced shuttle service, Chariot, will be available in New York City. Initially, Chariot will offer two pre-planned service areas in Manhattan and Brooklyn to help commuters who are not fully served by existing bus or subway operations. However, the firm promises it can and will create other routes if a sufficient number of users sign up for and fund a proposed new venue.
“Our mission at Chariot is to provide reliable, safe and affordable transportation for as many people as possible,” said Chariot CEO Ali Vahabzadeh. “We want to connect people more easily to where they want to go–whether they need help making it to a transit hub or live in an area underserved by public transportation.”
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Chariot plans to have a fleet of 60 Ford Transit Vans operational in the NYC region by fall. Like its West Coast operations in San Francisco and Seattle, riders can download an app to locate a convenient route near them and then reserve an assigned seat on a Chariot van; in this case, for a $4 flat rate each way. Beyond serving the needs of individual commuters, Chariot also is launching enterprise and charter services in New York City. The former is aimed at companies seeking to provide employees with a convenient shared ride situation while the latter lets people directly book a private 14-passenger Chariot van for day trips or special events.
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“We know how important it is for everyone to be able to get around effectively – especially in densely populated places like New York,” said Jessica Robinson, director, Ford City Solutions. “Chariot is one way we’re trying to help cities accommodate their residents and ensure people aren’t sacrificing their needs as a result of limited mobility options.”
