New Park City App provides year-round transportation for locals by locals

Photo: Zachary_Bretz_Park_City_App

Zachary Bretz hopes to grow the business to at least 20 drivers by January 2024

Park City, Utah — With the new Park City App, you can schedule and confirm rides to the Salt Lake City airport, locations in the Salt Lake Valley and beyond, or locally at any time of the day or night at fixed prices that include the tip.

The app now has five drivers.

Researching the need

Zachary Bretz started researching the idea for the Park City App after his fiancé, who commutes to San Francisco on occasion, was ghosted by Uber multiple times when she needed a ride to the airport.

He piloted the idea in March 2023 with six weeks of free rides through the Reddit Park City platform. The business didn’t really take off until his fiancé told him to try spreading the word on Nextdoor, the app many locals use for neighborhood conversations and recommendations about local businesses.

He posted information about his services on Nextdoor in mid-July. The business blossomed and the reviews are very complimentary.

The app is fairly basic but functional. Bretz wrote it himself and expects to have an update early in November which will display the cost of rides and make booking and confirming a ride even easier.

You can download the free app from your phone’s app store.

Safety first

All drivers are freelance partners living in the Park City area or Heber City. Bretz considers safety their first priority, so he has ridden with all of the drivers. They all have experience driving in adverse weather on local roads. In the winter all vehicles will have snow tires.

The Park City App provides the drivers with commercial driving insurance if they do not carry it themselves.

Prices for customers and partners

The Park City App’s pricing model is designed to pay drivers a fair wage without having to rely on tips. The prices include the tip and still compare favorably with other services.

Bretz says, “It is important to pay competitive prices to attract and keep good drivers.”

Airport fares are based on the distance from the airport with the cheapest being $65 from the Summit Park, Jeremy Ranch and Pinebrook areas for up to three passengers. There is a $25 surcharge for a midnight to 5 a.m. pick-up time. Up to six passengers can be transported for an additional $25. The fee from Kamas is $115 and dynamic range pricing is coming.

Reliable service

They have a backup driver that will pick up any of their passengers that encounter an interruption such as a flat tire while on a ride and deliver them to their destination. Once confirmed, you have a ride. If the confirmed driver has an emergency, the backup driver picks up the slack.

Providing services that may have been lacking in Park City

Currently, about 5 % of their transportation services are to medical appointments in the Salt Lake Valley from the Park City area. They will even arrange for the same driver for drop-off and pick-up when required by the medical facility. To arrange this type of transportation, call 917-575-1955.

Zachary Bretz hopes to grow the business to at least 20 drivers by January 2024.