Uber’s most affordable ride option is back just in time for summer. Travel Noire reports that Uber’s carpooling option is making a comeback.

The service was originally offered by the ride-sharing company prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. For those comfortable with riding with strangers, Uber’s carpooling option allowed riders to save money – 20 percent, to be exact – on an otherwise costly ride. Due to the pandemic and social distancing, however, carpooling took a back seat for the company.

UberX Share, however, is Uber’s reentry into the space and is an updated rendition on the company’s original carpooling concept. Travel Noire notes that Uber, like many companies and industries, is making a more concerted effort to be environmentally friendly. The company desires to become a “zero-emissions mobility platform,” and is working toward this goal by decreasing emissions in Europe, Canada, and the U.S. Carpooling fits perfectly into this concept, as more people in one ride equals less emissions going into the air.

Riders familiar with Uber’s carpooling option prior to the pandemic will notice exciting updates with UberX Share. One major change is that the company has improved the carpooling routes. In its previous iteration, the routes weren’t as efficient as they could be, which caused frustration with riders. Now, UberX Share will only match passengers whose destinations are in the same direction.

UberX Share has also expanded its reach to cities across the U.S. During its initial launch in June 2022, Uber announced that its carpooling option would be made available to riders in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Phoenix, San Diego, Portland, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. This list is set to increase by five, as Baltimore, Miami, Nashville, Philadelphia, and the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. are part of the UberX Share expansion. The launch date for these cities has yet to be announced.

Travel Noire notes that UberX Share is not just limited to select cities within the U.S. The service is also available in countries such as Canada, France, Qatar, Nigeria, Argentina, Kenya, Ghana, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Australia.

Roshae Hemmings is an arts and culture magazine journalist from St. Louis, MO. A graduate from the Missouri School of Journalism, Roshae has bylines in the Columbia Missourian, Vox Magazineand 5280 Magazinediscussing topics ranging from pop culture, social justice and eat and drink. She is a foodie at heart and enjoys eating food as much as learning about the story behind it. When she’s not working on a story, Roshae enjoys cooking, watching and analyzing reality TV, and spending time with family and friends.

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