Uber
Birmingham to Pilot Ridesharing Service
Birmingham will try a new ridesharing service to offer area residents more public transit options.
Birmingham Councilor Says City Has Increased Its Dedication to Public Transit
Despite looming service reductions from the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority, District 5 Birmingham City Councilor Darrell O’Quinn emphasized Tuesday that the city has increased its dedication to public transit.
Legislative Update: Uber and Lyft Regulations, Guns in Church
This week, the Alabama Senate voted to regulate ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft. And a House committee endorsed legislation sponsored by Rep. Lynn Greer that would allow people at church to defend themselves with guns. Similar bills are advancing in states from Florida to Virginia. Don Dailey, host of Alabama Public Television’s Capitol Journal tells WBHM’s Gigi Douban not all churches are on board.
What to Watch for in 2016 Birmingham Business
With 2015 in the books, a new year lies ahead with hopes and possibilities. To kick off another year of Magic City Marketplace, Birmingham Business Journal editor Cindy Fisher Crawford explains what to watch for in 2016 as it relates to Alabama’s business community.
Uber Up and Running in Birmingham
Ride hailing services are set to begin operating in Birmingham this afternoon. Uber has confirmed that users should be able to hail rides from their smartphones beginning at 4 p.m. Ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft let people use smartphone apps to book and pay for rides.
The Debate Around Guns Has to Change
San Bernardino, California, is the latest place to experience a tragic mass shooting and joins a list that includes Charleston, South Carolina, Sandy Hook, Aurora, Colorado, and may other places. After such incidents, the issue of gun violence inevitably follows, but the discussion seems stagnant with the various voices involved arguing their positions with little change. One of the most powerful voices is the National Rifle Association and Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald says "to hell with the NRA." He shares his thoughts and explains why the process around Birmingham's approval of Uber and other ride-hailing companies was flawed.
City Council Makes Way for Ride-hailing Companies in Birmingham
The Birmingham City Council voted today on revisions to the city’s transportation code which would allow ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft to operate in the city. The council voted 7 to 1 in favor of the changes. Councilwoman Valerie Abbott voted against them. Councilwoman Kim Rafferty abstained.
Blueprint Birmingham After Five Years
Five years ago this fall, the economic development group Birmingham Business Alliance announced Blueprint Birmingham. With a big marketing push it was hailed as five-year strategic plan that would change a region that so often lags behind. With that time frame over we talk about what the plan did in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Grant for BJCTA-MAX Buses, Birmingham and UBER Negotiate
It’s been a busy time for the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority. They were recently awarded a $20 million TIGER grant to improve buses, just weeks after they controversially parted ways with their then-executive director, Ann August. For more on this and other regional transportation news, we turn to Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD.
Kyle Whitmire: Uber Stalls In Birmingham
This week the Birmingham City Council voted unanimously to modify the city's transportation code. The modifications would have a direct impact on taxis and ride-sharing services like Uber. While the changes would allow Uber to operate in city limits, Uber reps tell AL.com that Birmingham's rules still make it impractical for them do business in the city.
Magic City Marketplace: Stunted Downtown Growth?
Birmingham's received a lot of attention for its downtown revival with more apartments and a grocery store slated to open in the next couple of years. But that has some business types warning that growth could be stunted because of the city's taxes. That's where we start with this week's Magic City Marketplace.
The City of Birmingham is Preparing for Uber
The ride sharing company Uber could be driving into Birmingham. The company has posted online ads for drivers although they won't say specifically whether they have plans to come to Birmingham. Such ride sharing operations have become common in larger cities around the country and the world. But many local governments have cried foul saying they're just unregulated taxi services. Birmingham City Councilwoman Kim Rafferty, who chairs the transportation committee, is trying to get ahead of that.
