Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Uber Launches Carpooling Service in Chicago

By David Matthews | November 17, 2015 1:14pm
 Uber launched UberPOOL, a carpooling service, here in Chicago Tuesday.
Uber launched UberPOOL, a carpooling service, here in Chicago Tuesday.
View Full Caption
Uber

CHICAGO — Uber launched its new carpooling service here Tuesday, billing it as a less expensive alternative to ordering your own driver.

UberPOOL rides are guaranteed to cost 25 percent less than any ride with UberX, the familiar service in which people hail a private ride with a mobile app. But with UberPOOL, customers have to share their ride with strangers and wait longer to get to their destination.

"The key to uberPOOL is being flexible with your arrival time," the ride-hailing app says on its webpage announcing the new service. "Sometimes you share a ride with someone else, and sometimes you ride alone. Some days you get picked up first, and some days you get picked up second. Life’s funny like that."

WATCH: Uber Introduces UberPOOL Chicago

Here's how the new service works: Customers need to enter their destination when they order so Uber can match them with travelers going on similar routes. Fares will be calculated based on a customer's direct route to his or her destination. Destinations can't be changed, and drivers will wait two minutes at each stop. Canceling costs $2, and Uber will enforce a no-show fee of $5. The minimum fare for UberPOOL is $4.20

And yes, surge pricing will still apply. 

Uber launched the service earlier this year, but Tuesday marks its Chicago debut. Uber's main competitor, Lyft, also has a carpooling service in certain markets but doesn't appear to offer it yet here. 

As of now UberPOOL is limited to an area stretching from roughly Irving Park Road to 71st Street

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: