Colorado Politics

DIA reports 65% reduction in wait times through Uber pilot program

A new pilot program between Denver International Airport and Uber has resulted in a 65% decrease in dwell times for people awaiting pickup, the airport reported on Thursday.

The ExpressMatch pilot program debuted in late June, in which the airport allowed small numbers of rideshare drivers to queue at the curb on the terminal’s east and west sides, rather than wait in a staging lot, similar to a taxi stand. The Uber app alerts drivers when there is sufficient curb space at the airport.

DIA found that most riders during the pilot experienced wait times of 90 seconds or fewer.

“The health of our passengers remains our top priority and we continue to look for innovative solutions to keep people safe when traveling,” said Kim Day, the airport’s CEO. By reducing wait times, DIA could diminish the number of people standing on the curb for their rides and ensure distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Uber announced that it intends to expand ExpressMatch to 10 airports in the U.S. and Canada by the end of August. Earlier this year, Uber also introduced “Prematch,” another wait-reduction strategy that uses “anticipated” demand to enable drivers to advance toward the airport’s pickup area, receiving a ride request en route.

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