(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Bowser joined Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi during his first trip to Washington, DC for a panel discussion on the Future of Mobility at Uber's new Greenlight Hub, a driver resource center in Ward 7.
“Whether you walk, bike, scooter, drive, bus, or Metro, urban transportation has a major impact on the daily lives of all DC residents,” said Mayor Bowser. “That is why we are committed to being the capital of mobility innovation and continue to invest in strategies that make our commutes safer, stronger, more reliable and more efficient for residents across all eight wards.”
At the event, Uber announced a first-of-its-kind partnership to share data with cities in partnership with the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). This data share will be piloted in Washington, DC in partnership with the Department of For-Hire Vehicles (DFHV) and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). Work at DFHV laid the digital foundation to understand how our streets are being used, utilizing SharedStreets, a data standard and open platform for companies and cities to seamlessly exchange information.
In November 2015, Uber expanded their DC office to include space for 500 employees at a 55,000 sq. ft. facility. Additionally, the District partnered with Uber on Uber Movement, an urban planning tool that provides anonymized data on ride hailing trips taken across the District. In October 2016, Mayor Bowser announced that Uber will open a new Greenlight Hub, a state-of-the-art support and resource center for local Uber drivers, at the East River Park Shopping Center in Ward 7. Uber’s DC Greenlight Hub will result in the creation of 25 full-time jobs, millions of dollars in investment into the location, and access to support services for thousands of Uber partners.
“Transportation is essential to shaping our economy and expanding economic opportunity across the District,” said Deputy Mayor Courtney R. Snowden. “Every day Washingtonians rely on diverse modes of transportation to get to work, take their children to daycare and to get access to quality healthcare. That is why, we are partnering with companies like Uber to help us use technology to move the needle on the intractable challenges faced by our communities.”
The Bowser Administration is committed to ensuring that as our tech sector continues to grow, residents in every corner of the District benefit from new technologies and expanded transportation options.
Economic Opportunity Month
Today’s event is part of #EconomicOpportunity month. Throughout the month, the Mayor will celebrate three years since the establishment of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity (DMGEO) and highlight key programs and initiatives that are putting more Washingtonians on pathways to the middle class and spreading prosperity to every corner of the District. For more information on #EconomicOpportunity month visit dmgeo.events.
The panel discussion also included speakers Stephen Goldsmith, Daniel Paul Professor of the Practice of Government at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Robert Puentes, President and CEO of the Eno Center for Transportation.