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The extraordinary expansion of Uber has transformed the road transport industry and, in some cities, including New York, has contributed to increased congestion. Now, Uber, in a gesture that has derided critics, says he wants to help solve some of the problems he has helped to create.
The company announced Wednesday that it will spend $ 10 million to help cities develop more efficient transportation policies and reduce congestion and vehicle emissions.
The money will be distributed over the next three years as part of a campaign by Uber to support efforts around the world to get more people to leave their car at home and adopt new policies. greener alternatives such as carpooling, public transit and cycling. To this end, a portion of the money will be used to advocate for congestion pricing plans, which charge drivers for entry into the busiest neighborhoods during peak hours.
Uber, which has been monitoring the data collected by its vehicles for a long time, will also publish data on the speed of the various streets to help them better assess traffic conditions and manage congestion. The campaign will donate $ 250,000 to SharedStreets, a transportation data sharing project, to develop ways to publicly share data from Uber and other private technology companies. Uber has also released some of its pickup and drop-off data as part of another effort to help cities rethink the use of parking spaces.
"As more and more people rely on Uber, our technology has become an important part of the city's transportation fabric," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi wrote in an article announcing the campaign. "This implies a responsibility: we recognize that we need to step up our efforts and support cities that take bold steps to solve their transportation problems. We are in a unique position to make a meaningful and positive impact on the communities we serve around the world – a responsibility we do not take lightly. "
But some critics, including taxi owners and taxi drivers, have pointed out that Uber was the main cause of congestion in many cities. Last month, New York became the first American city put an end to new vehicle licenses for transportation services whose vehicles often run empty between passengers in the busiest streets. The number of vehicles leased in the city has increased from around 63,000 in 2015 to 100,000.
Critics also said $ 10 million was a slight change in pocket for one of the world's most-priced companies, at $ 62 billion, as it prepares for a first public offering scheduled for next year . Mr. Khosrowshahi is working to repair Uber's image after a series of controversies in recent years, including complaints from workers about discrimination and harassment.
"We are in a" doctor heal yourself "moment, where" Dr. Uber 'suggests measures to reduce congestion while one of the major causes of this congestion is the excessive number of vehicles clogging the streets of New York Said Richard Lipsky, spokesman for the owners of taxi medallions. "If Uber is really concerned about congestion, they would take the initiative and reduce the number of their vehicles."
In the last sign of aggravation of saturation, the annual system of congestion warning of the city – "blocking warning days" – was brought to 10 days last year and was launched this week instead of waiting for the holidays. brought thousands of world leaders, including President Trump, and their security details.
Uber officials said their campaign was the result of their efforts to support a comprehensive congestion pricing plan in New York.
At the beginning of the year, a state-appointed working group, Fix NYC, proposed such a congestion zone in Manhattan as a central element of a plan that also included supplements on rides in rental vehicles. But the congestion zone failed to gain broad support for Albany, particularly during an election year, in part because many drivers outside of Manhattan saw it as a benefit to Manhattan. As part of this year's budget, state leaders finally imposed additional charges on routes south of 96th Street – $ 2.50 from yellow taxis, $ 2.75 from other vehicles.
Uber spent $ 350,000 on TV and Internet advertising and phone calls to support this year's congestion pricing effort, supported by a broad coalition of transportation, business and community organizations. Mr Khosrowshahi promised that Uber would provide at least $ 1 million of the campaign announced Wednesday to continue supporting efforts in New York next year. "We are ready to do our part to help cities that want to implement smart policies to fight congestion, even if it means paying a tax from our own pocket on our core business," he wrote. .
Alex Matthiessen, who spearheaded the push for congestion pricing, said he welcomed Uber's support as activists planned to renew the congestion zone as part of next year's budget to fund the congestion charge. Metro repairs proposed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
"The conditions are good for spending the rest of the Fix NYC congestion pricing plan next year," said Matthiessen. "We have a full subway crisis, the elections will be behind us and the M.T.A. produced a credible and popular plan to repair metros that put transit users first.
Andrew Salzberg, who oversees the transport policy for Uber, said the company had an interest in reducing congestion because its drivers and riders are directly concerned. He added that Uber sees its carrier vehicles as a complement to public transportation, as people who do not own a car often have to use both to get around.
The new campaign will also give money to PeopleForBikes, a rights advocacy group that supports policies that encourage cycling in cities. Mr Salzberg said that Uber will identify other projects to be supported through its local offices.
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