Uber woos Parkmerced residents with discounts

Uber officials Wednesday announced a partnership with a real estate developer to encourage car-free living in San Francisco.

The partnership with developer Maximus Real Estate Partners, which developed San Francisco’s Parkmerced community, will provide new residents with $100 for transit and Uber rides and cap UberPOOL rides to and from nearby transit stations at $5.

Residents can put the $100 on their Clipper Card or in their Uber account or divide it up any way between the two, Uber spokeswoman Laura Zapata said.

The cap on UberPOOL rides applies to rides from Parkmerced to the Daly City BART station, the Balboa Park BART station or the West Portal Municipal Railway station.

Existing Parkmerced residents can also get UberPOOL rides to and from the nearby transit stations for $5 or less, Zapata said.

Research by the American Public Transit Association says that people who use multiple shared modes of transportation, such as Uber and bikesharing, are more likely to use public transit, own fewer cars and spend less on transportation.

Uber officials said riders have shown them that Uber fits into the transportation ecosystem by giving people rides on the last mile or the first mile of their trips.

People also use Uber for late-night transportation.

Zapata said because Uber officials just announced the partnership they have not heard what residents think of the idea.

The aim of the partnership is also to reduce congestion, pollution and the need for land for parking.