Popular ridesharing company Uber has weighed in on Sound Transit 3, throwing its support behind the regional transportation plan.

According to a blog post on Uber’s website earlier today, Monday Oct. 24, the company believes mass transit and rideshare technologies are all just one part of a greater transportation network.

“Reliable and accessible mass transit is a critical component of urban mobility, even as technology advances and new transportation options like rideshare are used by more people every day,” wrote Brooke Steger, general manager of Uber in the Pacific Northwest in the post. “At Uber, we believe that ridesharing and public transportation go hand-in-hand.”

The post went on to read that Uber is typically not in the business of endorsing ballot measures, but believes that Sound Transit 3, also known as Sound Transit Proposition 1 “would be a significant and overdue step toward putting in place the comprehensive transportation system the Seattle area needs.”

Sound Transit 3 proposes a light rail line from South Kirkland Park and Ride to Central Issaquah. It would connect with the already-planned spur coming from Redmond and have stops in Downtown Bellevue (part of Sound Transit 2), Richards Road, Eastgate near Bellevue College, a provisional stop in the Lakemont area and finishing in Central Issaquah.

Bellevue is also centered in a major Interstate-405 Bus Rapid Transit proposal, where buses would leave northward from the Lynnwood Transit Center down I-405 through Bothell, Kirkland, Bellevue, Renton, Tukwila and into Burien. The 38-mile route would use eight existing stations and add three more at a cost of between $812 and $869 million. Sound Transit estimates that between 15,000 and 18,000 daily riders would take the bus rapid transit at 87 minutes transit time from end-to-end.

Steger said Uber’s mission and that of ST3 were in line.

“Prop 1’s goals are congruous with those of Uber: reduce congestion and pollution by moving more people with fewer cars, and provide better mobility options for all people living in the region,” she wrote. “We also know that ridesharing can complement public transportation by providing a reliable and convenient first and last mile solution.”

Uber is offering a pilot promotion this week where its riders are encouraged to take flat-fee trips to and from the University of Washington light rail station and Eastgate Park and Ride.

Steger cited the success of Sound Transit and the changing nature of commuting as reasons for her company’s support.

“According to the Puget Sound Regional Council, area transit ridership has grown 13% since 2011. And since the opening of the Capitol Hill and University of Washington Link stations in March, light rail ridership in particular has consistently seen monthly year-over-year increases between 50% and 80%,” she wrote. “Here in Seattle, we have evidence that it’s possible for the use of rideshare and mass transit to significantly grow simultaneously. This is good news from our perspective, but it’s perhaps even better news that the circumstance is not unique.”

Steger then cites data that people who use ridesharing technology like Uber or Lyft are more likely to use public transit.

“This is the future of transportation. There will be less car ownership and people will come to rely more on a mix of mass transit and other transport options to get where they need to go, even as self-driving vehicles become a bigger part of the picture.”