How RXR used HQ Shuttles to provide Starrett-Lehigh tenants with a seamless last-mile shuttle solution

Industry:

Commercial Real Estate

Client Size:

Approximately 25.6 million square feet of commercial operating properties

Location:

New York

Company Background:

RXR Realty (“RXR”) is a New York-based real estate investor and developer that has some of Manhattan’s most iconic addresses within its portfolio.  As the third-largest private commercial landlord in the Tri-State area, RXR has over 70 commercial real estate properties with an aggregate gross asset value of $21.0 billion.

Starrett-Lehigh is one of Manhattan’s largest buildings, encompassing a full city block between 11th and 12th Avenues and 26th and 27th Streets in West Chelsea, spanning over 2.3 million square feet on 19 floors.

The Business Need:

RXR turned to HQ to expand its array of amenities to meet the needs of its current and future tenants.  Intrinsic to this goal was the intention to make the commute to the Starrett-Leigh building more convenient with a shuttle service from New York’s transport hubs.

RXR wanted to lead the way in property amenities while making Starrett-Leigh more accessible for tenants from the Tri-State area.

The Solution​​:

Together with RXR, we designed a daily shuttle route for a seamless last-mile journey.  We identified tenant travel behavior and custom-built convenient timetables for shuttle operation five days a week during the peak work hours.

Strategically this included major transport hubs across Manhattan with stops at 14th Street & 8th Avenue for the A, C, E, and L train lines and 23rd Street & 8th Avenue for the C and E train lines, Port Authority, and Penn Station.

 

To raise awareness and promote the service, we integrated HQ Shuttle data feeds with ActionFigure.ai’s Transit Screen technology to display schedule and real-time data throughout  Starret-Lehigh’s public spaces

For the tenant-passenger experience, we developed a custom integration through VTS Rise, the property operations and tenant experience solution, to provide direct access to shuttle booking within RXR’s existing WorxWell app.

 

 

This provided a straightforward way to reserve a ride,  purchase tickets, see schedule times and route maps, and track the shuttle in real-time.

 

 

The Results:

• The HQ Shuttle solution resulted in strong ridership and service adoption amongst tenants. This was evident with over 60% of tickets from a pre-purchased 10-day pass.

 

• Moreover, the service strategically supported RXR’s ‘Return-to-Office’ package. In the first month, 30+ riders used our HQ Shuttles for their last-mile commute from NY’s major transport hubs with over 100 rides per week.

 

 

• Following the launch, we were able to quickly expand the shuttle service for a new route that included Grand Central Station based on real-time data, and passenger demand.

 

• RXR received positive feedback from companies within Starrett-Lehigh who viewed the shuttle service as an attractive amenity and an efficient way to commute after two years of remote working.

 

Client Testimonial:

“RXR is excited to provide our customers the best return to office experience through such features as the HQ tech-enabled, luxury shuttle service. RXR continues to build upon its signature foundation of providing employees with a high-quality, diverse array of amenities to ensure our customers are able to enjoy their work while sustaining productivity, efficiency, and creativity.” –  William Elder, EVP and Managing Director of New York City Leasing at RXR