LA Metro joins forces with Via to offer first and last mile transport solution

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Authority (LA Metro) has partnered with Via to provide an affordable first and last mile solution to customers. Funded by the Federal Transit Administration, valued $1.35 million (£1.01 million), the plan aims to support transit agencies and communities that integrate new mobility tools such as smart phone apps, bike- and car-sharing and on-demand bus and van services.
November 21, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Authority (LA Metro) has partnered with Via to provide an affordable first and last mile solution to customers. Funded by the 2023 Federal Transit Administration, valued $1.35 million (£1.01 million), the plan aims to support transit agencies and communities that integrate new mobility tools such as smart phone apps, bike- and car-sharing and on-demand bus and van services.


This project is part of a two-region partnership in Los Angeles County and the Puget Sound area with King County Metro and Sound Transit where each region will be testing a new type of partnership with a transportation network company.

Using new technology, customers will be able to book a seat in a shared, dynamically-routed vehicle to or from three major Metro stations. Customers with disabilities, including those with service animals, wheelchairs, or other mobility aids or who need additional assistance to board or alight will be able to request rides that meet their needs.

The Eno Center for Transportation, UCLA and the University of Washington will be studying identify lessons learned from the project to assist future partnerships. In addition, the FTA will be working with Booz Allen Hamilton and the Transportation Sustainability Research Center to evaluate all participating Mobility on Demand (MOD) programs.

LA Metro and Via are finalizing an agreement with the intent of beginning the MOD project in summer 2018. For further information go to metro.net/mod.

Metro Chair and Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, said: We’re making our systems more inclusive — because access to public transportation is a right, not a privilege. Everyone should be able to make a trip on Metro buses and trains, and these funds will help more riders get where they’re going quickly and conveniently."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • OCTA seeks proposals from three teams for I-405 freeway project
    March 31, 2016
    The Orange County Transportation Authority, California, is seeking proposals from a shortlist of firms for the design and construction of the I-405 Improvement Project, an important step toward building a better freeway that is intended to improve travel times for those driving the corridor between Costa Mesa and the Los Angeles County line. The OCTA Board of Directors has unanimously approved the criteria for selecting a firm to design and build the freeway improvements and approved issuing the final re
    Read More
  • Plug and play approach unifies workzone ITS
    July 18, 2012
    Caltrans District 7 is finalising a ConOps document which will detail a plug-and-play to work zone ITS operation. The organisation's Allen Z. Chen elaborates. Before August is out, on current planning, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 7 (which covers Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, with a combined population of close to 11 million people) intends to have finalised a Concept of Operations (ConOps) document dealing with Work Zone Transportation Management Systems (WZTMS). The
    Read More
  • New York's Metro-North Railroad to test smartphone tickets
    July 13, 2012
    The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro-North Railroad, working with transit mobile ticketing specialists Masabi US, will begin testing a smartphone app that will let people buy their train tickets anywhere, anytime and never have to hold a piece of paper. During the pilot, select users will be able to download the free app to their iPhone, Android or Blackberry phones. Through the app, these users can buy any type of ticket, one-way, round trip, 10-trip, monthly etc, with any origin and destination
    Read More
  • A natural fit
    May 18, 2012
    Xerox Chairman and CEO Ursula Burns will deliver the keynote address at today’s opening plenary in Fort Washington. Two years after leading the company’s $6.4Bn acquisition of ACS, Burns provides some insights into Xerox’s expanding role in the transportation sector.
    Read More

Highlighted Content