[this article is sponsored by Squaw Valley]
[Olympic Valley, Calif.] Dec. 21, 2016 โ This holiday season, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will offer a pilot intra-valley transit program in partnership with the app-based transportation provider Chariot, beginning December 23 and operating through the holidays until January 4. As part of its ongoing efforts to support regional transit solutions, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will offer the Chariot trial program as a modern and convenient transportation option for guests and residents in the Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows neighborhoods, while simultaneously removing cars from roads and parking areas.
Currently operating in the San Francisco Bay Area and Austin, TX, Chariot is a mass transit service that offers a fast, reliable and comfortable ride experience. Chariotโs mobile app will allow people to book rides for both on-demand and fixed-route services within the Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows neighborhoods, using new 14-passenger Ford Transit vehicles equipped with ski and snowboard racks.
From December 23 through January 4, Chariotโs 14-passenger shuttles will pick up passengers along fixed 15-20 minute routes between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., and from 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. In the middle of the day, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Chariot will provide custom resort-to-doorstep rides within the Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows neighborhoods, in addition to fixed routes. Resort-to-doorstep rides can be booked via Chariotโs mobile app, which works much like other popular ride-hailing apps.
โSquaw Valley Alpine Meadows is dedicated to enhancing public transit in our region right now, with concerted action,โ said Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. โAs we seek to modernize and improve the ways that people get around in our region, this pilot project with Chariot is an opportunity to deliver a quality experience while removing cars from the road and pollutants from our environment. Our sponsorship of this pilot program is a short-term step toward what we hope will be a longer-term sea-change, where the community and its leaders come together to improve the transit experience for all residents and guests. We are very excited to see what we learn from this pilot and eager to apply these learnings to long-term solutions not just in the immediate vicinity of our resort, but across our region in partnership with others.โ
โAs we find new ways to customize Chariotโs transit solutions for new regions and use cases, we saw an exciting opportunity to help pioneer a new type of transportation for the Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows areas,โ said Ali Vahabzadeh, founder and CEO of Chariot. โThis is a great way to deliver people the stress-free, safe and convenient ride experience Chariot is known for during the busy holiday season. We look forward to partnering with the innovative team at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows on this service offering and solving for some of the specific mobility challenges local residents and visitors face.โ
In Squaw Valley, the fixed route includes multiple stops each on Squaw Valley Road, Sandy Way, Lanny Lane, Tiger Tail Road and Winding Creek Road, with drop off/pick up at the Memberโs Locker Room, located on Village South Road. At Alpine Meadows, the fixed route will include multiple stops each on Alpine Circle Road, Snow Crest Road, Juniper Mountain Road, Deer Park Drive, Bear Creek Drive, John Scott Trail and Chalet Road, with an established drop off/pick up location in front of the Alpine Meadows Main Lodge.
Guests who download the Chariot app or visit chariot.com/board will have access to route times and be able to reserve rides within the Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows neighborhoods between December 23 and January 4. Guests residing in spotty cell service zones are encouraged to reserve their Chariot via the desktop application. Chariot service will operate in addition to the existing Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Express Shuttle which travels between the bases of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows every 20 minutes, beginning at 8:30am and ending at 4:45pm.
Download the Chariot App to book a ride during the holidays at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. For more information, visit https://squawalpine.com/chariot-transit.
no, I don’t get it. free rides for people that need neither: free nor rides. rides that hardly go anywhere anyway? I don’t like ski operations assets going to more fluff. you have money to waste, run f–%$# headwall!