Skip to main content

Uber calls on US legislators to prioritise VRUs

Uber is urging the US House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure to prioritise the safety of vulnerable road users (VRUs) through funding and incentive programmes. 
By Ben Spencer January 28, 2020 Read time: 1 min
Uber is releasing Jump bike data as part of its pitch to US lawmakers

In a letter, Uber – which owns the Jump bike-share brand - says new mobility infrastructure legislation would require new lanes for every street once it is re-paved. The company suggests using a formula developed by the National Association of City Transportation Officials for determining bike infrastructure based on traffic speed and volume. 

Congestion pricing legislation would help fund mass transit and mobility infrastructure while helping decrease traffic by disincentivising the dependence on personal cars, the ride-hailing giant adds. 

As part of the commitment, Uber is launching a free data tool that combines Jump bike volume with a city street view. It says this will aid decision-making in improving bike safety throughout a city while also allowing users to compare weekday and weekend volume. 

According to Uber, the tool - available in San Francisco, Washington, DC and Paris - can help cities better pinpoint where new micromobility infrastructure, like protected bike lanes, can be located to serve the most people on bikes and scooters in a city. 
 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Bolt launches dockless e-scooters in Madrid
    April 2, 2019
    Bolt, the ride-share company which was formerly called Taxify, has launched electric kick scooters in central Madrid. The firm piloted the vehicles in Paris last year – making it the first to combine scooter sharing and ride-hailing together in one mobile app, Bolt claims. “Beating the traffic is a big issue in cities like Madrid and a lot of trips are much more efficiently covered with an electric scooter rather than a car with a driver,” says Markus Villig, CEO and co-founder of Bolt. He says the dep
  • America explores road user charging options
    November 14, 2017
    Jack Opiola casts an eye over the numerous road user charging pilots underway in the US. In the USA, congestion mitigation and improving mobility have often focused on network improvements, increased road capacity, improved public transport, high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes or ‘express lanes’ and ITS measures – all of which require political capital and major funding. Nowadays, political capital is as hard to obtain as funding because more political leaders are recognising the decline of fuel excise tax
  • America explores road user charging options
    November 27, 2017
    Jack Opiola casts an eye over the numerous road user charging pilots underway in the US. In the USA, congestion mitigation and improving mobility have often focused on network improvements, increased road capacity, improved public transport, high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes or ‘express lanes’ and ITS measures – all of which require political capital and major funding. Nowadays, political capital is as hard to obtain as funding because more political leaders are recognising the decline of fuel excise tax in
  • Uber takes on European critics
    July 13, 2015
    Uber's director of public policy for Europe, Simon Hampton, has suggested that he sees a chance at winning over governments pursuing legal action against the company. “If you're in a city Uber hasn't come to yet, then creating a group of people to say they want Uber and to put pressure on local politicians - that's hard," Hampton said at a panel discussion in the European Parliament, reports euractiv.com. Uber has faced legal inquiries in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Italy and Portugal ov