Five cities in Central Florida are hoping to cut congestion on the roadways with the help of Uber.
- Altamonte Springs began Uber partnership in March
- City leaders say Uber has seen 10 times the number of riders
- Sanford, Maitland just approved program
Sanford decided Monday to work with the ride-hailing service to offer discounts to residents who want to cut back on their driving. City leaders approved the measure in a 4-1 vote. Maitland also voted to adopt the pilot program Monday.
The program is already underway in Altamonte Springs.
Residents can use their Uber app to get a ride anywhere within city limits, and the city will pay a portion of the fare. It's an even bigger discount if your destination is the SunRail station.
Altamonte Springs entered into this agreement with Uber in March and, so far, the company has seen 10 times the number of riders.
The city is currently budgeting about $90,000 this year to pay for the discounts.
Leaders said it's worth it to get people to use other means of transportation so that more cars are off the streets and highways, reducing congestion.
Longwood and Lake Mary also want to join the Uber pilot program.
"The idea is to shift people out of their cars and into something else," Altamonte Springs City Manager Frank Martz said. "We want to try to also recognize that SunRail needs a boost, and so that's why we've offered a little bit bigger discount if you interact with SunRail on our pilot project."
If your Uber ride starts and ends within Altamonte Springs city limits, riders get a 20 percent discount. It's a 25 percent discount if you start or end at the SunRail station. All five cities have SunRail stations.