[Colorado-Talk] Rideshare Curbside Pickup at the Denver International Airport

[Curtis Chong]

Rideshare Curbside Pickup At
The Denver International Airport
What Works and What Remains Problematic

By Curtis Chong

 

At the 2022 convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado,
representatives from the Denver International Airport informed our
membership that people with disabilities, including the blind, would be able
to ask Uber and Lyft drivers to pick them up curbside nearer to the terminal
instead of having to traverse the crosswalk to Island 5. As positive as this
service sounded, it turned out that, practically speaking, few if any of us
found curbside rideshare pickup to be a positive experience.

 

First, requesting curbside pickup through the Uber and Lyft mobile apps
proved to be too difficult for average smartphone users--that is, if the
user could even find where in these mobile apps to request the service.
Either the control requesting the service was not accessible to screen
reading software such as VoiceOver or the service could not be found using
the usual strategies that screen reader users were familiar with.

 

Secondly, even if the curbside rideshare pickup could be requested, too many
people experienced delays caused by drivers having to circumnavigate the
airport because drivers were more likely to be at Island 5 and thus would
have to circumnavigate the airport to get closer to the terminal--adding
approximately twenty minutes to the amount of time that passengers
requesting curbside pickup needed to wait.

 

There seems not to be much that can be done to address the second issue, but
there is much that I hope to share here that can help VoiceOver users to
more quickly and efficiently find and activate a request to be picked up
curbside nearer to the terminal on level 5. So, if you want to take
advantage of rideshare curbside pickup at the airport, read on.

 


Differences and Similarities Between the Uber and Lyft Mobile Apps


 

Whether you are using Uber or Lyft to request curbside pickup, you should
know the door number where you are standing and whether you are on the east
or west side of the terminal. Fortunately, once you know your door number,
it is a simple matter to determine whether you are on the west or east side
of the terminal. Door numbers on the east side of the terminal end in odd
numbers like 505 or 507 while door numbers on the west side end in even
numbers like 504 or 512. When requesting curbside pickup, you really need to
send a message to your rideshare driver indicating the door number where you
are waiting.

 

There are differences between the way Uber has implemented its curbside
pickup request option as compared to Lyft. The Lyft mobile app requires
passengers to stand within 30 feet of one of the doors to the terminal while
the Uber mobile app does not. So, while you can arrange for an Uber curbside
pickup (called Accessible Pickup in the Uber mobile app) while inside the
terminal, you are not able to request the curbside pickup option (called
Accessible Rides) in the Lyft mobile app until you are standing within 30
feet of one of the terminal exit doors.

 

Moreover, even if Uber or Lyft drivers are on the correct lane to come
alongside the curb, traffic congestion might not allow them to stop in front
of the passenger requesting curbside pickup. In this situation, drivers must
circumnavigate the airport again before being able to stop to pick you up.

 


Using VoiceOver to Request Curbside Pickup at the Airport




I spent a good part of an afternoon at the Denver Airport comparing the
behavior of the Uber and Lyft mobile apps to request a curbside pickup. My
admittedly limited experience convinces me that curbside pickup is easier to
request in the Uber app. So, let me start with that.

 

In the Uber mobile app, curbside pickup (called Accessible Pickup in the
mobile app) is requested on the Confirm Pickup screen. There is a Confirm
Pickup button near the bottom center of the screen. If you touch this button
and then flick left with one finger, you will hear VoiceOver say, "Selected
Island 5, Zone H Button."

 

At this point, you should flick right with one finger two times. The first
time you flick to the right, you will hear VoiceOver say, "Island 5, Zone
I." Flick right with one finger another time to hear VoiceOver say,
"Accessible Pickups, Read Directions." Now perform a one-finger double-tap,
and this option is selected. At this point, you can flick right to and
activate the Confirm Pickup button.

 

In the Lyft mobile app, curbside pickup (called Accessible Rides in the
mobile app) is also requested on the screen where you confirm your pickup
location. Flick right with one finger repeatedly until VoiceOver is focused
on the Confirm Pickup button. Flick left with one finger once. You should
hear VoiceOver say, "Island Five Vertical Line Zone C D E picker item."
Perform a one-finger double-tap on this picker item and then flick left with
one finger to "Standard Rides picker item." Flick upwards with one finger to
select "Accessible Rides." Now, flick right with one finger to the Confirm
Pickup button and perform a one-finger double-tap to activate it.

 


The Practicality of Rideshare Curbside Pickup


 

In my testing, drivers from both Uber and Lyft were required to
circumnavigate the airport at least once before they could pick me up
alongside the curb. I regret to say that this happens more often than any of
us would like. So, if you want to get out of the airport in a hurry, your
best bet continues to be to get yourself out to Island 5 and head for zones
C, D, or E if requesting a ride from Lyft or zones F, G, or H if you want
Uber to pick you up.

 

 

 

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