[Olympic Valley, Calif.] Dec. 21, 2016 – 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.
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Bay Area-based company Chariot will provide free transit services within Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows neighborhoods
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Guests and neighborhood residents who download the Chariot App can access route information and reserve Chariot rides to and from the mountains during the Holiday period
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. Chariot’s 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, Chariot’s 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 Chariot’s mobile app, which works much like other popular ride-hailing apps.
“Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is dedicated to enhancing public transit in our region right now, with concerted action,” said Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. “As 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.”
“As we find new ways to customize Chariot’s 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,” said Ali Vahabzadeh, founder and CEO of Chariot. “This 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.”
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 Member’s 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.
About Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows
Voted ‘Best Ski Resort’ in North America for the second year in a row by USA Today and 10Best Readers’ Choice 2017, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is an internationally renowned mountain resort in North Lake Tahoe that spans over 6,000 skiable acres. The resort features slopeside lodging at The Village at Squaw Valley®, which bustles year round with nonstop events and nearly 60 bars, restaurants and boutiques. With an annual average of 450 inches of snowfall and 300 sunny days, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is known as the spring skiing capital as it provides one of the longest ski and snowboard seasons in Lake Tahoe. Skiers and riders of all ability levels are welcomed by over 65 percent beginner and intermediate terrain, 14 easy-to-navigate mountain zones and a custom app to make the most of every visit. Visit squawalpine.com or call 1.800.403.0206 to learn more.
About Chariot
Chariot is a crowdsourced network of commuter shuttles that provides a fast, reliable and affordable option for people living in today’s cities. Through its crowdsourcing technology, Chariot creates mass transit routes based on consumer demand and allows users to vote to source their own neighborhood route. With one in five of its trips connecting with larger public transit routes, Chariot serves as a first and last mile commute and helps support the use of public transportation. The company also operates pop-up Chariot routes for special events and custom routes for employers, public agencies and other organizations. Founded in San Francisco in 2014, Chariot participated in Y Combinator’s Winter 2015 batch and was acquired in September 2016 by Ford Smart Mobility to serve as the cornerstone for its new global shuttle services business. Chariot is currently available in San Francisco and Austin and will expand service to new markets over the coming year. Visit Chariot.com to learn more.