Altamonte Springs signs contract with UBER to offer 20%-25% on all rides

[Knight_Light]

This might be the first type of contract in the country as Altamonte Springs is using $$ from a failed bus ride program and signed a deal with UBER to offer 20% discounts on all rides within Altamonte Springs and 25% discounts on any ride that starts/ends at the cities Sun Rail station.

http://www.wftv.com/news/local/uber-altamonte-springs-teaming-up/141707747

Hope other small cities do something similar for most of the ineffective bus ride systems.

 

[Steve A.]

Doesn't really add up at all if you think critically.

 

[SublimeKnight]

Doesn't really add up at all if you think critically.

Sounds like a good idea to me, but I'm looking at it versus the abysmal failure that is the city of Atlanta.
They did a street car project. Offered free rides the first year. Had about 1.2 million riders, the problem is it costs about $4M a year in operating costs. This year it will cost $1 to ride. So even versus operating costs/rider this uber deal sounds better and that's ignoring the almost $100M in capital costs for the project (of which a good sum was paid by the Fed, just to help you feel some pain about this too).

 

[Steve A.]

To me, your reaction and Knight_Lights says they did a great job name dropping LYNX to rationalize their reckless spending to become an "Uber City"

I am on board with using Uber or an Uber like service (speaking of which, why wasn't their a competitive bid process for this service?) if they can provide rides cheaper than LYNX. But this isn't that. This isn't something that is set up to replace LYNX provided trips.

It was also smart to name-drop SunRail...but Sunrail is a commuter train and has a nice big parking lot in Altamonte. If the reason for low riders is that people can't afford to get themselves to the station (and I don't believe that it is) then do what Longwood, Lake Mary and Maitland all have done and support development at the station. Those citys are going to enjoy urban renewal and increased tax base while Altamonte enjoys giving away Uber rides that will almost certainly not be for anything that serves a public good outside maybe some drunk drivers off the road.

 

[Knight_Light]

Doesn't really add up at all if you think critically.

It does though if one had to utilize the very inefficient bus system and/or couldn't even get to the SunRail Station in Altamonte.

What can be better than have a system that could be used 24/7/365?

 

[Knight_Light]

Sounds like a good idea to me, but I'm looking at it versus the abysmal failure that is the city of Atlanta.
They did a street car project. Offered free rides the first year. Had about 1.2 million riders, the problem is it costs about $4M a year in operating costs. This year it will cost $1 to ride. So even versus operating costs/rider this uber deal sounds better and that's ignoring the almost $100M in capital costs for the project (of which a good sum was paid by the Fed, just to help you feel some pain about this too).

That's a you problem then...as Altamonte is not doing what Altanta did and will be doing.

No clue why you would even compare the two.

 

[Knight_Light]

Those citys are going to enjoy urban renewal and increased tax base while Altamonte enjoys giving away Uber rides that will almost certainly not be for anything that serves a public good outside maybe some drunk drivers off the road.

Since when is Altamonte "giving away" Uber rides?

All I see is Altamonte "encourage" those that never could use the inefficient bus system and/or couldn't get to other businesses/shops/restaurants in the city in a convenient way...and does so with a discount for those that choose UBER.

SunRail only goes North/South yet City of Altamonte stretches from 17-92...to well past 434 that follows the 414.

Only those that favor the much more expensive and inefficient bus system could ever be against this discount plan for UBER.

 

[SublimeKnight]

That's a you problem then...as Altamonte is not doing what Altanta did and will be doing.

No clue why you would even compare the two.

I was comparing the street can to the bus route uber is replacing. People don't understand how expensive buses are to maintain and how much more expensive a bus driver is versus an uber driver.

 

[CommuterBob]

I was comparing the street can to the bus route uber is replacing. People don't understand how expensive buses are to maintain and how much more expensive a bus driver is versus an uber driver.

Say what? On a per-passenger basis, the bus driver wins hands down. It is far more cost-effective to drive buses than individual transportation. And LYNX has some of the lowest per-passenger operating costs in the country for public transit bus operators. The problem is that the LYNX buses that serve Altamonte (especially the SunRail station) simply don't run frequently enough to drive choice riders to use the system. In order to add more frequent service, LYNX needs more money and a dedicated funding source (right now, they have to beg for money every year), but nobody is willing to do that, so LYNX does what they can. Everyone says they want more and better public transportation, but few are willing to pay for it.

There is a philosophical divide between Altamonte and LYNX that has been growing for the last 5 years. No surprise at all that Mayor Bates wants to try something other than LYNX. Altamonte (along with Casselberry, Longwood and Maitland) has been trying to get an on-demand bus project off the ground for years and has put some serious money into studies and a pilot project, only to be stalled by LYNX and the Feds. I guess this is the compromise solution.

 

[SublimeKnight]

Say what? On a per-passenger basis, the bus driver wins hands down. It is far more cost-effective to drive buses than individual transportation. And LYNX has some of the lowest per-passenger operating costs in the country for public transit bus operators. The problem is that the LYNX buses that serve Altamonte (especially the SunRail station) simply don't run frequently enough to drive choice riders to use the system. In order to add more frequent service, LYNX needs more money and a dedicated funding source (right now, they have to beg for money every year), but nobody is willing to do that, so LYNX does what they can. Everyone says they want more and better public transportation, but few are willing to pay for it.

There is a philosophical divide between Altamonte and LYNX that has been growing for the last 5 years. No surprise at all that Mayor Bates wants to try something other than LYNX. Altamonte (along with Casselberry, Longwood and Maitland) has been trying to get an on-demand bus project off the ground for years and has put some serious money into studies and a pilot project, only to be stalled by LYNX and the Feds. I guess this is the compromise solution.

If the bus routes are used a lot sure, If you're paying the bus driver to drive empty or nearly empty buses most of the day it is not. Not to mention the city would only be paying 20%-25% of the UBER cost and only when they're actually carrying passengers. I think it's a great solution for sparse metro areas.

 

[CommuterBob]

If the bus routes are used a lot sure, If you're paying the bus driver to drive empty or nearly empty buses most of the day it is not. Not to mention the city would only be paying 20%-25% of the UBER cost and only when they're actually carrying passengers. I think it's a great solution for sparse metro areas.

Bus routes that don't have a lot of ridership get culled/re-routed semi-annually as LYNX constantly updates their system.

As for the uber contribution, I also wonder what the redemption rate will be, as users will bear the responsibility for entering the code. I would wager that a 50% redemption rate would be astounding, meaning that Altamonte won't actually pay as much as they might have to.

 

[Knight_Light]

If the bus routes are used a lot sure, If you're paying the bus driver to drive empty or nearly empty buses most of the day it is not. Not to mention the city would only be paying 20%-25% of the UBER cost and only when they're actually carrying passengers. I think it's a great solution for sparse metro areas.

Not sure the City will pay that much...as UBER will probably give back a percentage for being the "preferred" carrier for the entire city...so UBER might be giving an additional 5%-10% to the city....city covers 10%-20%..so its a win-win for both.

Its certainly unique for both (first in the country I believe) and I hope other cities jump on this bandwagon to help out their city residents/businesses.

 

[CommuterBob]

Not sure the City will pay that much...as UBER will probably give back a percentage for being the "preferred" carrier for the entire city...so UBER might be giving an additional 5%-10% to the city....city covers 10%-20%..so its a win-win for both.

Its certainly unique for both (first in the country I believe) and I hope other cities jump on this bandwagon to help out their city residents/businesses.

It's the first in Central Florida, but not the first in the US, or even Florida. Earlier this year, PSTA in St. Pete partnered with uber to provide riders a ride to their local bus stop, with PSTA paying the remainder of the ride and the rider only paying $3. HART has been working on a similar program in Tampa, but it's not off the ground yet. Other agencies are working with uber and Lyft as well to supplement their transit service.