The E-Hail Pilot Program is an on-demand travel option for eligible Access-A-Ride customers. This program is currently in a pilot stage, expanding to 3,600 customers in 2023 by invitation only. Pilot customers, who will be selected at random by the MTA, will have the opportunity to try out this more flexible travel option and help MTA evaluate the program’s benefits.
The Pilot Program is set to run from August 2023 through February 2024, and may be extended to August 2024. During this time, the MTA will evaluate program costs and benefits, hear feedback from participants, and make a determination of next steps once this current phase of the pilot ends.
Pilot customers will be split into two distinct programs with separate parameters, which will allow us to more rigorously study the benefits of the service.
The program changes described below enable us to go beyond the original 1,200 pilot participants and bring the program in line with successful on-demand programs across the US. Starting on August 21, customers will be placed into either the High Volume or Distance program.
High Volume E-Hail Program
In the High Volume program, participants can take up to 40 on-demand trips per calendar month that are subsidized by Access-A-Ride. A participant pays an initial charge of $4 for each trip, and the MTA will subsidize up to $25 of the cost of each trip.
This means that with the MTA subsidy a participant will only pay $4 for a trip costing up to $29. A participant can book a trip that costs more than $29 but will be responsible for paying the remaining balance.
High Volume Program sample trips
Total fare |
Patticipant initial charge |
MTA subsidy |
Participant additional payment |
Total participant payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
$28 (High Volume) |
$4 |
$25 |
$0 |
$4 |
$39 (High Volume) |
$4 |
$25 |
$10 |
$14 |
Distance E-Hail Program
In the Distance program, participants can take up to 25 on-demand trips per calendar month that are subsidized by Access-A-Ride. A participant pays an initial charge of $4 for each trip, and the MTA will subsidize up to $40 of the cost of each trip.
This means that with the MTA subsidy a participant will only pay $4 for a trip costing up to $44. A participant can book a trip that costs more than $44, but will be responsible for paying the remaining balance.
Distance Program sample trips
Total fare |
Patticipant initial charge |
MTA subsidy |
Participant additional payment |
Total participant payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
$42 (Distance) |
$4 |
$38 |
$0 |
$4 |
$66 (Distance) |
$4 |
$40 |
$22 |
$26 |
Participants will be selected at random to ensure we have a representative sample of the overall AAR customer base and customers who are selected will be notified in the coming weeks. It is not possible to apply or volunteer to be a part of the program, although we know there is great interest. As mentioned, we hope these changes will allow us to expand E-Hail to more customers in the future. Customers who are remaining in the pilot from the previous phase were sorted into whichever of the two programs best matched their E-Hail usage patterns.
How E-Hail works
Pilot participants will be able to book trips from four eligible service providers: Arro, CTG, Lyft, Uber, and the Drivers Cooperative. Customers can confirm their trip cost in a provider’s app before choosing to book it. Customers can use any participating service provider for a given trip and can compare the same trip across the different providers, choosing their preferred trip provider based on cost, wait time, or other criteria. We expect customers to primarily use the service providers’ smartphone apps to book trips, but customers can book trips via phone call with both CTG and the Drivers Cooperative.