Week in Review: Lyft pledges to go green, Uber enters SaaS space, San Francisco’s DA sues DoorDash

Jim Manning Posted On June 22, 2020

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Join us at CoMotion MIAMI LIVE!

Dear Friend,

As our urban world begins to emerge — haltingly, partially, anxiously — from the unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic, our cities more than ever need a broad rethinking about mobility and transit. How can urban transit systems, so vital to economic recovery, regain a new dynamism and better serve urban communities? How can new technologies around smart curbs, connected vehicles and connected infrastructure be leveraged to make more livable and vibrant urban cores? How can cities and mobility operators around the world continue vitally important efforts to decarbonize transportation – on the ground, in the air and on the water?

CoMotion MIAMI LIVE is convening the world’s foremost urban and mobility leaders to address these questions and to lay out a bold new blueprint for mobility. Join policymakers, technologists and visionaries from cities around the world at the inaugural edition, June 30th and July 1st — and be part of this virtual and highly interactive conversation.

Our speakers, panels, and workshops feature leading policymakers, from our host and friend Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez to LADOT General Manager Seleta Reynolds, Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta and Bogota’s Secretary of Mobility Juan Pablo Bocarejo, to private sector luminaries like Tomás Petti Martins, CEO of Brazilian micromobility juggernaut Tembici, Moovit CEO Nir Erez (fresh off his company’s $1B acquisition by Intel), Via’s visionary leader Daniel Ramot, Miami’s own Ari Ojalvo, CEO of REEF Technologies and dozens more. Complimentary tickets are still available, while Premium Passes are only $95 through Wednesday. I hope to see you (virtually) there.

Episode 71. Greg Lindsay sits down with Albert Garcia, Chairman, Wynwood Business Improvement District, to discuss how Wynwood in Miami went from a rundown neighborhood to a hotspot for art, nightlife, and urban innovation. Greg Lindsay also chats with Jonah Bliss about DoorDash’s recent $400M in fresh funding, Hertz’s stalled IPO, Ford’s upcoming ADAS, and other happenings of the week. Listen here.

Florida leads the way: former Wall Street tycoon Wes Edens believes the future of American transportation is regional passenger rail — so much so that he’s betting $9 billion on it, expanding private rail service all across the Sunshine State. Next stop, Las Vegas?

Decades in the making: the BART extension into San Jose and Santa Clara County is finally open. The $2.3 billion, 10-mile extension is a welcome addition to Silicon Valley commuters, despite the pandemic temporarily depressing ridership.

Dive on LIVE: with the pandemic reshaping how the world convenes for major events, Smart Cities Dive takes a look at the upcoming CoMotion MIAMI LIVE, and how the transition to digital events can make conferences more open and accessible to all.

A code to live by: Miami 21 is the Magic City’s progressive zoning code that created Miami’s famous skyline and urban form. Now, the code is being revised, setting new rules to address issues of equity and gentrification, to reduce auto use, and to bolster public transportation.

Dive deep into expansive transit projects: CoMotion>>NEWS premieres the new “Demystified” video series; tune in for insightful takes by Toronto-based transit enthusiast Reece Martin, and get an in-depth look at the historical context, and interesting design decisions behind some of the world’s most massive transit projects.

Curbside collaboration: managing the curb, and the data on what services are making use of it, is a critical part of the future of mobility. With that in mind, Tranzito and Moovit just announced a new collaboration, to incorporate Moovit’s trove of mobility data into Tranzito’s curbside hubs. Learn more about Moovit’s plans to reshape mobility: CEO Nir Erez joins us at CoMotion MIAMI LIVE – 6/30-7/1.

Active Travel Summit: our own Greg Lindsay took part in a webinar for the Active Travel Summit, focusing on what mobility in London will look like in the medium to long term future. Tune in to the insightful panel discussion!

Silver lining for Purple Line: as the pandemic reduced traffic and kept businesses closed, LA Metro was able to complete decking for its Beverly Hills Purple Line subway station seven months ahead of schedule. Every month counts for traffic-weary Westside commuters.

The pink mustache goes green: Lyft made a pledge that every vehicle on its platform will be electric or zero-emissions by 2030. This applies to not just the rental car fleet the company owns, but any driver-owned vehicles as well.

SF DA vs. DoorDash: looks like California is continuing its war against the misclassification of “freelance” employees, as San Francisco is suing DoorDash to protect the rights of food delivery workers.

Ooo… that Hertz: the car rental mainstay is pausing its plan to sell up to $500 million in shares after the SEC launched a review. The government raised concerns about the Bonita Springs, Florida-based rental giant’s plan to sell stock while in the middle of bankruptcy proceedings.

Fresh funding: the market may be volatile, but it looks like this unicorn still has wings: DoorDash is raising $400M in a new round bringing its valuation to $16B. While DoorDash started a private IPO filing in Feb, it looks like that’s temporarily off the table.

Juneteenth honored: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi announced the TNC would make Juneteenth a company holiday in honor of the abolition of slavery. Importantly, and unlike other firms like Tesla, not only can employees take the time off, they’ll still be paid for the day.

SaaS at last: Uber is moving into a new type of business, going with the Software-as-a-Service model. The company is partnering with Marin Transit, just north of San Francisco, to license its platform for an on-demand shuttle pilot run by the city.

Pandemic polling: CoMotion NEWS and RideShare Mechanic surveyed over 400 rideshare and delivery drivers to gauge how they’ve been affected by the pandemic. With over 90% reporting severely reduced income and less than half receiving CARES Act assistance, the results are sobering.

Bavarian breakup: less than a year after announcing the tie-up, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have bailed on their long term collaboration to jointly develop highly advanced autonomous driving technology. The split is reportedly amicable, and cooperation may be resumed in the future.

Upcoming AV: in Q3 2021, Mustang Mach-E drivers will be able to download Ford Co-Pilot360 2.0, Ford’s self-driving software. The system will only work on certain sections of pre-mapped, divided highways and use a driver-facing camera to track driver attention. And in a push for improving consumer understanding, Ford is specifically not calling this software “autonomous.”

Benched bikes: from London and Paris to Rome and Brussels, JUMP bikes are disappearing from Europe’s streets — thanks to Lime’s acquisition of Uber’s erstwhile micromobility brand. The cycles are now temporarily warehoused until Lime decides where to redeploy its new fleet.

Fresh funding: Berlin-based scooter operator Tier recently raised an additional $23 million in funding, despite the global pandemic. The company is already planning ahead, looking to use the new funds to expand post-coronavirus. Tier is reportedly operating close to overall company profitability, which is all the more impressive given these tough economic times.

Scooter ‘splosion: in the UK, demand for mopeds, motorbikes, and scooters are rising dramatically as commuters ditch public transport due to pandemic fears. Sellers of mopeds and scooters found sales were triple the amount that were sold the first week of June as compared to last year.

Bike lanes by Bird: Santa Monica-based Bird is releasing a new standalone app called Bird Maps. Going out first in Paris and Tel Aviv, the app provides turn-by-turn navigation so riders can stay in official bike/micromobility lanes for the duration of their trips, thereby promising to help improve rider safety.

Tough blow for Motor City: GenZe, a unit of India’s mighty Mahindra Group, announces the closure of its Detroit-based factory, marking the quick demise of America’s only scooter factory. We’re truly sorry to see them go.

More biking in the Big Apple? A new Regional Plan Association report urges NYC to build a 425-mile network of protected, continuous, priority bike lanes across the five boroughs. The new lanes would serve as an integral part of the city’s COVID-19 recovery.