A city in Florida is betting that transportation network companies can help reduce congestion and increase transit ridership.
Reuters broke the news that Altamonte Springs, a suburb of Orlando in Florida, will be the first city in the United States to subsidize the cost of Uber rides.
The program will launch March 21, in the hopes of reducing the number of cars on the road and increasing transit ridership. So far Altamonte Springs has budgeted $500,000 for the year-long pilot project. The city will pick up 20 percent of the bill for all Uber rides within city limits and 25 percent for all rides to or from a SunRail station.
WKMG ClickOrlando provides additional local coverage of the subsidy. The Times of India also picked up the big news.
FULL STORY: First City In the Nation Plans to Subsidize Uber Rides

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

Proposed Ohio Budget Preserves Housing Trust Fund
The Senate-approved budget also creates two new programs aimed at encouraging housing construction.

DOJ Says Trump Has Power to Roll Back National Monuments
The opinion sheds light on how the administration may justify its effort to eliminate protected public lands.

Maryland Awards $1.25M in TOD-Related Grants
The state’s DOT is funding projects that prepare sites around transit stations for future mixed-use development and housing.
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