
After some quick crowdsourcing, Chariot announced that starting February 24th, Chariot would not serving Cole Valley and focus more on NoPa and Haight. According to an interview with Hoodline and Chariot founder, Ali Vahabzadeh, they found, "that despite the overcrowding, intermittent delays under the tunnels and gaps in service, if all went well with the N Judah, it was marginally faster to downtown than Chariot."
It seems a bit strange to us that Chariot only did a month trial period in Cole Valley. One would think it would require more data, i.e. rides and time, to really see how Chariot stacks up against Muni and other commuter options such as Lyft and Uber.
Even with this short debut in Cole Valley, Chariot had some lackluster reviews from folks in the hood. Cole Valley is definitely at a huge advantage over other neighborhoods in terms of transportation options. We have the N Judah and the 6 to get downtown, not to mention the 71 on Haight.
Here is what some Cole Valley residents have to say about their thoughts and experiences with Chariot:
"Love it. Usually only a few people on board, you always get a seat....more predictable and reliable than N" - TP
"People living in the CV want Chariot most when the N is not working right...For the past few weeks, the N has been relatively trouble-free, so Chariot has experienced light ridership." - JD
"While the N can often operate smoothly, try it during commute hours for a week. It is a cattle car. That's the attraction of Chariot." - MP
"The one aspect I could see being frustrating about Chariot is the passenger van. If it were more of an actual bus [small shuttle], it would be a lot nicer." - SS
"Nice to have options!" - RD
"Between traffic for Chariot, and random "why isn't the train moving" for the N, the times seem pretty even...If I can avoid [a crowded train], I'm happy sitting in traffic in a climate controlled van." - RJ
"Used it this morning to avoid the massive Muni delay and the resulting 2.6x surge priced Uber...It was actually a huge help to save me from being late to an early meeting. Worth the $5 if you need it." - KS
"I tried it and it was easy, fast and comfortable." - GA
"My ride in the 'Cole Valley Cruiser" Chariot was quite pleasant! Disco jams on the radio and the driver offered everyone water." - KS
"Chariot rocks. 21 minutes from Cole and Carl to California and Sansome. Comfortable, fast, efficient and friendly. Awesome" - MS
"I tried it once. It's my third choice after the N or the 6 and before Lyft." - MC
Content for this article was used with permission from Hoodline.