Pilot program is meant to test out ride-hailing as a solution to last mile challenge
by Andrew J . Hawkins Oct 3, 2016, 10:56a
Lately, Uber has been positioning itself as the ultimate solution to the eternal challenge of shuttling people between transit hubs and their homes, also known as the “last mile challenge.” To that end, the ride-hail giant announced today that it struck a deal with the suburban town of Summit, New Jersey, to launch the state’s first subsidized commuter program.
Under the deal, Uber will offer free or extremely cheap rides to commuters who have struggled to find parking at Summit’s New Jersey Transit station. In exchange, the city, which is 30 miles from Manhattan, will subsidize the rides, paying Uber directly to cover the costs of the trips. The city says the deal will help free up nearly 100 parking spots at the transit station, as well as keep it from having to spend millions of dollars to build additional parking.
“As an alternative transportation option, ridesharing is not new,” said Summit Mayor Nora Radest in a statement. “But our program is the first of its kind in the United States to use ridesharing technology as a parking solution. Our innovation has the potential to shape how municipalities think about and implement parking options in the future.”
https://www.theverge.com/2016/10/3/13147680/uber-new-jersey-free-ride-parking-lot-train-commute
Terrible idea. See recent article about rape by Uber driver in Wyckoff driveway. They aren’t vetted and may not have proper insurance. I will never take Uber anywhere.
Terrible idea… last thing we want to do is put Uber on the payroll.
If you want to use Uber, pay for it yourself.
The three Amigos were right. It is better to spend $ 12+ million for a parking garage than deal with the potential problems of Uber. Let’s get going on the massive garage. Build it big, build it tall because we need it after all !!
No surprise to see Luddites in Ridgewood – our kids might not even own cars. They’re more likely to use car sharing services like Zipcar or take autonomous self-drive services offered by Uber and Google. Zipcar estimates every shared car takes 10 cars off the road, so parking needs and congestion are both reduced. And buying a car is one of the worst investments we make; with 20% annual depreciation + parking, insurance and fuel costs, its a luxury that most people only use a few times a day. Cars spend most of their time parked and idle. Complete waste of money.