It started when Michael Rogers, the City Administrator of Summit, New Jersey, read an article reporting that 23% of New Jersey Uber rides end within an eighth of a mile of the train station. Looking for ways to alleviate commuter parking congestion around the Summit train station, he emailed Ana Mahony, General Manager of Uber New Jersey, to explore alternative methods of getting residents to the station without having to park.

The result: a new 6-month pilot program in which the City of Summit is giving up to 100 residents a weekday uberX ride to and from the Summit train station—a service included in the cost of a resident parking pass. With this program, which began on October 3, we hope to reduce the number of commuter cars left in parking lots during the workweek, thereby eliminating the need for an additional parking structure near the station, and saving an estimated $5 million in taxpayer dollars over the next 20 years.

“As an alternative transportation option, ridesharing is not new,” explains Summit Mayor Nora Radest. “But our program is the first of its kind in the United States to use ridesharing technology as a parking solution. Our innovation has the potential to shape how municipalities think about and implement parking options in the future.”

We’re passionate about collaborating with New Jersey leaders, organizations, and institutions to create better ways for all cities to move, work, and thrive. Recently, we worked with the town of Evesham to implement a free safe rides program to prevent drunk driving and help residents get home safely from local bars at night. Since this program’s introduction, Evesham officials have seen no drunk-driving fatalities and reported an 83% reduction in DUIs year over year.

From connecting public and private transportation options to fighting against drunk driving, there’s a lot that technology allows us to achieve together. To let us know how we can help in your community, click here. Getting things started only takes one email.