ELIZABETH, NJ—Residents of Capodagli Property Company's Meridia apartment complexes in North Jersey are the latest multifamily tenants who will be “Ubering” around the state at a reduced cost, thanks to a new partnership designed to reduce residents' reliance on personal car ownership. It's part of an emerging expansion of Uber's car-for-hire business in a tighter integration with local businesses, healthcare systems, transit-oriented developments, and municipal traffic planning.

Last week, Matthew Powers, the general manager of Connecticut for Uber, described some of the partnerships Uber has made with local governments and organizations, at a transportation infrastructure update seminar hosted by the New Jersey chapter of NAIOP in Elizabeth, NJ.

Ana Mahony, left, general manager of New Jersey, and Matthew Powers, general manager of Connecticut for Uber, the car-for-hire service.

Beginning next week, new lease signers at all Meridia properties in New Jersey will receive $100 in Uber credits, offering tenants an affordable and reliable way to get around, without the hassle of parking or maintaining an automobile.

The current Meridia properties participating are: Meridia Lifestyles (Linden, NJ); Meridia Main Station (Bound Brook, NJ); Meridia Park Avenue (West New York, NJ); Meridia Metro (Hackensack, NJ); and Meridia Lafayette Village (Rahway, NJ).

Uber is helping to reduce parking requirements in both public and private construction, Powers says. A large parking lot or parking deck in an apartment complex is very inefficient, he says, costing as much as $25,000 per space.

Previously, developers in Washington, DC and California began doing away with parking, offering bike storage instead, and an Uber waiting lounge in the lobby. “For people who don't own a car, and don't want to pay for a parking space, they can choose to use Uber,” he says. In San Francisco, the Park Merced apartment complex gives tenants $100 a month transit subsidy in lieu of having a car on the premise. Tenants must spend $30 a month from that money on Uber, and the balance can be spent on other public transit options, Powers says.

“Today, the average automobile sits unused in a parking spot 96 percent of the time, and we believe that by making better use of cars already on the road, ridesharing can make transportation more equitable, more efficient and more environmentally-friendly,” says Ana Mahony, general manager for Uber New Jersey. “By encouraging Uber as an alternative to driving your own car, we're helping Meridia residents save both time and money.”

To make the experience as easy as possible for riders and drivers, Uber and Meridia will establish designated pickup and drop-off zones with custom signage at all Meridia apartment communities.

“Our partnership with Uber is going to be a great convenience for tenants living in Meridia's already transit-friendly communities,” says George M. Capodagli, CEO of Capodagli Property Company/Meridia. “Offering the first of its kind Uber designated pick-up/drop-off zones and rapid, round-the-clock Uber availability are a big part of what makes downtown living an attractive option for more and more people throughout New Jersey.”

Elsewhere in New Jersey, Uber is helping municipal officials reduce traffic congestion and alleviate parking shortages, Powers says. In Summit, NJ, residents with prepaid parking permits are getting free Uber rides to the NJ Transit station, where parking spaces are extremely limited. Residents without prepaid parking permits get a subsidized $2 Uber fare. Summit government officials say the program could reduce the need for station parking by 100 spaces and save $5 million in taxpayer dollars over 20 years.

Uber also is partnering with Hackensack Medical Center to provide shuttle rides between buildings on the sprawling Bergen County medical campus. Dedicated pickup/dropoff locations throughout the campus allow patients to move between medical appointments with greater ease and convenience.

“We're hoping to continue these kinds of partnerships across New Jersey and across the country,” Powers said.

Instant Insights /

Meridia Tenants Get Travel Credits As Uber Expands Traffic/Parking Solutions

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