A standard rideshare from BCIT Burnaby to Metrotown costs about $13 at normal demand, and most trips should land between $11 and $15. It is 4 km to Metrotown, a drive of about 10 minutes.
These figures are our own estimates from average rideshare rates, not prices published by Uber. The Uber app shows the real upfront price before you confirm, so use this page to judge whether that number looks fair.
How the $13 is worked out
We use a base fare of $2.50, $1.15 per km, $0.35 per minute and a booking fee of $2. For this trip that is $2.50 plus $4.60 for distance plus $3.50 for time, which makes $10.60. Add the $2 fee and you arrive at roughly $13. The regional minimum fare is $4.43, so a trip of this length sits well above the floor.
Demand changes the total. At a busy multiplier of 1.2 the fare is about $15. Very busy, at 1.5, comes to about $18, and a peak multiplier of 2 pushes it to about $23. On a short hop the gap between normal and peak can be larger than the trip itself seems to deserve, so it is worth glancing at the price before you tap request.
Other vehicles, taxis and the pickup
Bigger or nicer cars
If you have more people or more bags, the same trip costs about $15 in Comfort, about $17 in XL (up to 6 seats) and about $26 in Premier. These are normal demand estimates too, and they rise with the same multipliers.
Taxi and getting picked up
Whalley Taxi and Royal City Taxi have matching tariffs, with a flag fee of $3.75 and a charge of $2.18 for each km. On that tariff the meter would reach about $12 for 4 km. That figure leaves out waiting time and any extras, so the final bill can come out higher.
For a college campus pickup, check the pin in the app before the driver arrives. Campuses can have several entrances, and a car waiting at the wrong one costs you minutes. Type the exact building or door in the pickup note, and wait where the driver can see you. If you are heading to a class or a shift at the other end, leave a few extra minutes in case the car is slow to find you. Students and staff with mobility needs should book an accessible vehicle ahead by phone, because it is rarely something the app can promise on the spot.