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Uber partners with regional collaborative to launch Cincinnati Mobility Lab focused on innovation


Uber, the technology platform that aims to bring transportation – for everyone, everywhere, has announced a first of its kind, multi-year partnership with a collaborative of  organizations in the Cincinnati region to create the Cincinnati Mobility Lab.

The announcement of the collaboration was made at a press conference Tuesday that included a wide range of stakeholders at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber in downtown Cincinnati.

General Manager Andy Aiello said TANK looks forward to being part of this first of its kind opportunity for transit and Uber to work together (photos by Mark Hansel).

The Lab will share data, conduct studies, engage employers and activate designers to help create an innovative and strategic transportation plan for the Cincinnati region.

The collaborative includes the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, the City of Cincinnati, and Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI), in partnership with Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) and Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK).

The Cincinnati Mobility Lab will:

  • Expand Uber’s presence in the Cincinnati region with a new, expanded greenlight hub support center and a dedicated Uber relationship manager for the Cincinnati Mobility Lab.

“We are excited to forge a new relationship with cities, starting with the Cincinnati Mobility Lab. Acting in partnership with others, we believe shared mobility can build a better transportation system for all,” said Andrew Salzberg, head of Transportation Policy and Research for Uber.

  • Commission the world-renowned firm, Fehr & Peers, to work with Cincinnati on key sites along key downtown corridors to help ensure that public transportation service has the space it needs.

“This partnership is vital to future of transit in our City,” said Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley. “Using this technology will enable us to explore innovative options for integrating various modes of transit so we can truly understand and address gaps in service, improve ease of use, get people to jobs and truly connect the entire City.”

  • Create an employer forum with the Cincinnati Chamber to help shape the future of regional commuting. This project will address how technology like Uber can work with the private sector to solve commuting challenges, create an attractive environment for employees, and help the region’s businesses compete for talent, connect people to jobs, and experience growth.

“Connecting people to jobs through innovative regional transportation is a top priority for the Cincinnati Chamber,” said Chamber president and CEO, Jill P. Meyer. “This partnership with Uber is another example of what the Cincinnati region can accomplish when we work together.”

  • Bring Uber’s data sharing platform, Movement, to Cincinnati, beginning today. The full power of Movement’s data will be available to analyze and implement in the Cincinnati region.

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley flanked, by stakeholders, said the Uber technology will allow the the region’s partners to explore innovative options to help understand and address gaps in transportation services

“OKI is enthusiastically eager to work with Uber Movement. This data source is a powerful and unique tool that will benefit our region,” said Mark Policinski, CEO of OKI. “Our initial collaboration with Uber Movement has yielded vast potential in solving regional problems. We are very confident the coming years will turn promise into reality. Simply put, this is as dynamic a partnership as this region has had in decades.

  • Launch a first-of-its-kind transit study with SORTA and TANK to assist these agencies in developing strategies for the future.

“We’re excited for this new partnership with Uber that will provide us with unprecedented access to data and insights that will further enable our efforts to plan for the future needs of our riders as we continue working to reinvent Metro,” said Dwight A. Ferrell, CEO & general manager of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority.

“We’re delighted to be part of this first of its kind opportunity for transit and Uber to work together to better understand transportation access in the region and create a strategic plan for the future,” added Andrew Aiello, TANK general manager.

  • Bring Stephen Goldsmith, director of the Innovations in American Government Awards program and Professor at Harvard Kennedy School, to Cincinnati for the inaugural Cincinnati Mobility Summit, a forum that will showcase Cincinnati’s transportation innovations and work to find solutions that blur traditional boundaries between transport modes.

“I’m excited to convene the brightest minds in urban governance to learn from Cincinnati’s example on collaborating for a shared mobility future,” said Goldsmith.

  • Introduce Uber’s national partnership with Meals on Wheels to the Cincinnati region by helping to recruit the next generation of volunteers.

“We are excited for this opportunity to have our Cincinnati-area Meals on Wheels member programs partner with Uber and explore ways to creatively leverage the rideshare app’s network of drivers to improve seniors’ lives throughout the region,” said Kristine Templin, chief development officer for Meals on Wheels America.

The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber serves as a bold voice for the interests of its 4,000-member businesses and their more than 300,000 employees. The Chamber is committed to expanding the region’s talent base by attracting new residents and finding new ways to connect employers to skilled workers. For more information, click here.

Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber


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