Uber introduces new bus-like "Route Share" feature for commuters

Uber is introducing a new feature that the ride-share company says can cost half as much as traditional fares and that might remind some users of taking the bus.

Called "Route Share," the new service resembles public transportation in that it will operate Uber shuttles along busy routes, offering pickups every 20 minutes.

Route Share is available during weekday commuting hours, and passengers can ride with up to two other people. It's half the cost of an UberX, Uber said in an announcement Wednesday. The costs of traditional Uber rides vary based on the location and duration of the trip.

Uber also said it's looking to partner with employers to make Route Share eligible for commuter benefits, offering customers more savings when they spend their pre-tax dollars on rides.

Uber's new service also caters to riders who live and work in highly populated areas and expands on an existing service that lets riders share cars with strangers in exchange for a lower fare.

Here's how Route Share works. When you hail a ride, users are instructed to walk to a pre-determined point at a set time. The Uber vehicle will travel along a fixed route, and other riders may join the trip.

Your ride could include a seven-minute walk to a pick-up point, a 20-minute drive and a five-minute walk to the eventual end point. It can cost up to 50% less than a traditional UberX rider, Uber said at an event announcing several new products.

Route Share is launching on Wednesday in select cities, including New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston and Baltimore. Shuttles will run from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Uber is also launching another feature aimed at reducing costs for regular commuters. "Price Lock" lets customers choose a fixed price for a specific route, so the costs of a ride won't fluctuate based on traffic, weather or demand on a particular day, according to Uber. It costs $2.99 per month, and can lead to savings of up to $50 a month, the company said.

Ride-sharing rival Lyft offers a similar product, which it launched in September 2024. Lyft at the time said its Price Lock option addressed the issue of fluctuating prices.

Uber served 175 million customers across 70 countries last year, according to the company. Sixty percent of those customers have household incomes of less than $75,000, according to the company.

"The reality is, for a lot of our customers, Uber is a daily necessity," Uber's chief product officer Sachin Kansal said at the product event Wednesday. "These are regular commuters, who are working really hard — they're just going to work. They don't have access to a car. They are not close to a transit stop. They are shift workers, so they have to get to work on time and they are using Uber for that."