A mobile app that allows Los Angeles commuters to compare the cost, speed and environmental friendliness of a variety of transportation modes, including bicycling and ride-hailing, is now available.
The Go L.A. app lists route options for public transit, ride-hailing services, taxis, driving, bicycling, motorbikes and various other transportation modes available in Los Angeles.
The app ranks each transportation method not just by which is cheapest or quickest, but also by which is “greenest” by calculating how much carbon dioxide is emitted.
The app also offers fitness-related information by showing how many calories are burned with each transportation method.
In addition to the traditional travel modes, the app lists newer options such as Uber, Lyft, Zipcar and Flitways. Incidentally, users are barred from simultaneously comparing Uber and Lyft services and must choose which ride- hailing service to add to the mix.
The app, available for iOS and Android devices, was created by Xerox, which partnered with the city of Los Angeles and other transportation agencies and companies.
“Go LA will help Angelenos get where they need to go by connecting smart technology with infrastructure,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “The app helps users move around in faster, cheaper, and greener ways by linking them to all of the transportation options available to them — from freeways, to Metro, to bike routes — while also providing the city with useful data that can help us shape a more mobile future for the people who live and work here.”
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation will make regular updates to the app, which in turn shares anonymous information about each trip with the city.
Transportation Department General Manager Seleta Reynolds said Xerox’s app “could help us learn where to improve infrastructure for people who walk, roll, bike, take transit and drive.”
Xerox is planning to add the ability to set up “ridesharing,” or carpool rides, and parking information to the app in the future.
The website for the app is http://www.golaapp.com . On iOS systems, the app can be find in the Apple app store by searching “Go LA” together with “Xerox”.
—City News Service