The town of Summit, New Jersey announced, it will subsidize the cost of Uber trips to ease parking jamming near its train station. The move will be saving to taxpayers of USD5 million across 20 years, what it would charge to construct a new parking lot, according to a press release.
The pilot program will engage about 100 residents and run for six. If successful, it could served to more users.
“This program is the primary of its kind in the United States to use ridesharing technology as a parking solution,” Mayor Nora Radest informed in the statement.
Riders who have already done the payment thing for a parking permit (USD4 daily) will not be required to pay for an Uber trip to the station. For those who haven’t purchased a pass, it will cost them USD2 for a ride. Summit pays the actual fare or the difference.
Although this is the first commuter ridesharing program related to parking, Uber is making efforts to work with local governments to solve other troubles. For example, Uber- as well as its competitor Lyft- wants to unite with Miami-Dade County to use federal grants to subsidize rides to two train stations. Its motive is to increase the use of public transportation by getting people to transit hubs.
Uber has another alike manoeuvre under way in California and Florida, too. In those cases, cities and private real estate developers offer residents certain benefits, such as credits toward Uber rides, to cut down on parking woes or attract potential renters.
The city of Summit says “thousands” of residents already use Uber, and over a third of them hail rides during morning and evening commutes.
The new program limits subsidized trips to those within city limits or to and from the train station. Trips must also occur on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.