San Francisco-based shuttle operator Chariot, acquired by Ford Motor Company in 2016, will end its operations by March in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Seattle, Austin, New York, Columbus, Detroit, Denver, and London.
"As you know, the mobility landscape is rapidly changing, we’ve made the tough decision that Chariot is not going to be a sustainable business moving forward,” Erin First, a spokesperson with Chariot, told Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, transportation reporter for the San Francisco Examiner, on Thursday.
The startup began operations in San Francisco in 2014 and outlived its two fellow private competitors, Leap and Loup, all providing a microtransit alternative for commuters who had mostly relied on the city's public transit fleet, known as Muni, composed of buses, light rail, streetcars and cable cars. It was acquired by Ford Motor Company in late 2016.
Chariot offered rides in small buses the size of vans to the public, in a system similar to Uber where riders can request stops using a mobile phone app. The company mostly mirrored Muni’s most popular bus routes, ferrying riders from the Marina to the Financial District, and other neighborhoods throughout The City.
"February 1 will be the last day we will offer service on our commuter routes in the U.S.," said CEO Dan Grossman in a statement. "We will cease all operations across the US and in the UK by the end of March."
"A ride on Chariot cost between $3.80 and $5.00, depending on the time of day, and monthly passes ran up to $119," reports Adam Brinklow for Curbed SF. "The company operated more than half a dozen routes in San Francisco."
"Chariot wouldn’t provide many details about why the service was shutting down except to allude to failing ridership numbers," adds Kirsten Korosec for TechCrunch.
Reports of sluggish demand and company morale had been trickling out for months now. A post in August by Streetsblog noted that Chariot’s shuttles in New York were empty most of the time, according to data provided by the company and evaluated by transit analyst Eric Goldwyn. That analysis found that Chariot’s fleet of 25 or so vans was serving around 1,000 riders total, or about nine riders per vehicle per day.
Korosec describes how Chariot fit in with the other mobility services acquired by, and expanded under, Ford Motor Company in the Ford Smart Mobility division which includes bike share in the Bay Area.
Ed Reiskin, Director of Transportation of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency told The Examiner's Rodriguez that "it wasn’t a surprise that Chariot faced challenges."
"We know from our experience and needing to serve all the people of San Francisco that transit requires a subsidy,” Reiskin said. “The idea that mass transit can be offered under a private for-profit model I think is a questionable proposition.”
FULL STORY: Out of Business: Private bus company Chariot to cease operations by March

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Washington Legislature Passes Rent Increase Cap
A bill that caps rent increases at 7 percent plus inflation is headed to the governor’s desk.

From Planning to Action: How LA County Is Rethinking Climate Resilience
Chief Sustainability Officer Rita Kampalath outlines the County’s shift from planning to implementation in its climate resilience efforts, emphasizing cross-departmental coordination, updated recovery strategies, and the need for flexible funding.

New Mexico Aging Department Commits to Helping Seniors Age ‘In Place’ and ‘Autonomously’ in New Draft Plan
As New Mexico’s population of seniors continues to grow, the state’s aging department is proposing expanded initiatives to help seniors maintain their autonomy while also supporting family caregivers.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service