For Williamsburg residents working in Manhattan, your commute just got brighter, and less crowded. That’s because Chariot, an app-based commuter service that focuses on the twice-a-day commute, will be adding a route from Brooklyn to midtown on October 10.
If this “Midtown Getaround” is comparable to the two other routes the company introduced this past summer –the DUMBO Direct (Greenpoint to DUMBO) and the East Side Express (Lower East Side to midtown), which have reduced hour-long commutes to roughly 20 minutes – it can also mean more leisure time (spin class, anyone?).
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How does it work? Using home and work addresses provided by riders through the app and the website, Chariot maps out stops determined by demand, then picks up and drops off commuters using a 14-passenger Ford Transit van. The “Midtown Getaround” is their first crowdfunded route in New York, which means that residents “backed” the route, effectively voting for Chariot to launch service.
Driven by employees of the company, chariots feature Wi-Fi and operate at approximately a 5-7 minute frequency. Trips cost $4 per ride, monthly passes are $119 and you can use commuter benefits to save up to 40 percent off the monthly pass.
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The service operates from 7am to 11am, and in the evening from 3:30pm to 8pm.
Did we mention that you can get your first week of rides for free? All you need to do is download the app here, and enter your promo code “BROKELYN” under “Payments.”
If Chariot does not have service near you, visit chariot.com/routes and enter your commute to “found” a new service area. When enough people support the route, Chariot will launch service in your area.
For more information go to their website or download the app.