Oct 18

Oct 18 DMC leaders break silence, ask council to move quickly on ride sharing

Officials from Destination Medical Center are urging the Rochester City Council to move quickly in establishing ride sharing services in town.

In a letter addressed to the mayor and council, leaders from the DMC Economic Development Agency said they are "concerned that today’s business model does not appear to be meeting the market demand."

"There is an increasingly vocal expectation among consumers — residents, visitors, and patients — that more choices and ride sharing options, such as Uber and Lyft, be available and are needed in our city," wrote Lisa Clarke, executive director of the DMC EDA, and Jeff Bolton, president of the EDA board.

The memorandum, which was presented to the council Monday afternoon, follows a recent discussion on ride sharing among members of the EDA board. According to the letter, the conversation highlighted the need to "increase consumer choice, meet consumer expectation, improve market flexibility and responsiveness, and provide destination-quality service and reliability."

The EDA recommended the city engage consultants already working on DMC transportation studies in its analysis of ride sharing. It also requested that discussions on the issue be "focused and efficient."

"It is our hope that the City of Rochester will move forward with the benefit of the subject matter expertise of the transportation consultants efficiently and deliberately to establish ride sharing services in safely meeting consumer needs and expectations," said Clarke and Bolton.

The city is in the process of drafting a ride sharing ordinance that would allow transportation network companies (TNCs), including Uber, to operate locally. A public hearing on the topic is scheduled for Nov. 7.

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