Hitch to bring City-to-City ride-sharing to Dallas

Ridesharing companies have transformed the concept of city transportation, but there is one type of trip where many would-be travelers do not have the option of summoning a rideshare: long-distance travel between cities. hitch, an Austin-based startup that is bringing comfortable and affordable on-demand shared car rides between cities, is expanding its service to Dallas, Texas.

Starting October 1, people have a new transportation option to travel between Austin and Dallas, by using the Hitch app to “hitch” a ride. For people who don't own a car, traveling between most American cities has, until now, been limited to a few costly or inconvenient options: taking a bus, a train, or renting a vehicle. Already offering service between Austin and Houston, Dallas will be the third city in Texas that Hitch supports.

“Expanding to Dallas was a logical extension of our Austin-Houston route, and many of our members were asking for service to and from Dallas, especially with major events like the Texas-Oklahoma game and the Austin City Limits Music Festival happening in Austin and Dallas in the fall,” said Kush Singh, Co-Founder and CEO of Hitch. “If you're driving between Austin and Dallas, you can make money without any additional driving from the empty seats in your car. We are giving people a convenient, safe, affordable option to travel between cities and make money from the empty seats in their vehicle that has never been done before.”

Daily service between Dallas and Austin will begin on October 1, with pricing of $35 per seat for riders, or $105 for riders who want a private car. Hitch users can use the app to book rides on-demand in as little as 30 minutes before they need to travel, or book rides a day in advance. Rides on Hitch are guaranteed once booked. Passengers meet their drivers and get dropped off at Hitch “stations” that are public locations such as coffee shops; riders can then continue on to their final destinations via public transit or other local ridesharing options.

Since launching its platform earlier in 2019, Hitch has more than 80% of its first-time riders becoming repeat customers. The company intends to expand to additional markets across the US in 2020.