It's easy to see why Uber would look on a Super Bowl hosted near its Bay Area home would look on the event as a large PR opportunity. Disgruntled Uber drivers see it the same way.
"A disruptive smartphone app turned Uber into a $50 billion global juggernaut. Now a group of disgruntled Uber drivers, with the help of their own smartphone app, aims to kneecap the car-hailing service precisely when and where it will be most in demand: Super Bowl Sunday in the Bay Area," according to an article by Josh Harkinson.
Uber is deeply invested in the Super Bowl this year, which is being hosted in its backyard in Santa Clara, about an hour from its headquarters in San Francisco. Ashley Rodriguez broke the news about Uber's involvement with the festivities in January: "Uber is also providing at least $250,000 to $500,000 in cash and services to sponsor the Super Bowl Host Committee, responsible for all logistics on game day, including transportation, the committee told Quartz."
In exchange, according to Rodriguez, "the Uber will have its own pickup and drop-off zones at the stadium, the company told Quartz. It will be the first ride-sharing service allowed to access a Super Bowl stadium on game day."
Back to Harkinson's report of potential workers' action on Super Bowl Sunday, a group called United Uber Workers "has pledged to hold a massive strike on Super Bowl Sunday, and some Uber drivers in other cities have said they will do the same in solidarity." The protest will involve "[slowing] highway traffic near the stadium and inundate the streets around crowded Super Bowl events in San Francisco."
FULL STORY: Fed-Up Uber Drivers Aim to Disrupt Super Bowl 50—With Their Own Mobile App
Advice for Autonomous Cars
Drivers for Uber and Lyft in San Francisco express their concerns and advice for self-driving taxi services.
How Much of Traffic is Created by Uber and Lyft?
New data from Fehr & Peers shows services like Uber and Lyft account for a larger share of the total traffic than previously thought, especially in city centers.
A Bikeshare Showdown Between Uber and Lyft
Lyft may soon not be the sole bikeshare operation in San Francisco as the city looks to expand the system and open the market up to other companies.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie