rideshare

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Bicycling in Bluemont Park (Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick)

County Backtracks on Uber Story — Arlington County is in the early stages of considering a plan to replace low-ridership ART service with some sort of partnership with ridesharing services, like Uber. However, the county is backtracking on an official’s statement that the service would be subsidized. “A recent press account quoted a County staff person as saying, incorrectly, that we will be subsidizing this service,” said County Manager Mark Schwartz. “No such decision has been made at this preliminary stage of analysis.” [Arlington County]

Advisory Group: Change Name of Jeff Davis Highway — An advisory group appointed by the City of Alexandria has recommended changing the name of Jefferson Davis Highway. Alexandria’s “Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Confederate Memorials and Street Names” says the Confederate president’s name should be removed from Route 1 in the city. [Patch]

Ultimate Frisbee Vote — Arlington Public Schools is now the first school system in Virginia to make ultimate frisbee an official school sport. The Arlington School Board voted Thursday night to implement ultimate as a sport in middle and high schools, on an initial countywide budget of $90,000. [WTOP]

New ART Bus Route Launching Monday — The new ART 54 bus route will begin serving Dominion Hills, Madison Manor and East Falls Church on Monday. The new bus will run every 24 minutes on weekdays, during the morning and evening rush hours. [Arlington Transit]

Medicine Dispensing Exercise — Arlington residents are being encouraged to participate in the county health department’s mass medication dispensing exercise on Saturday. Volunteers are needed to form a crowd seeking medication (the county will be dispensing two types of candy during the exercise.) [ARLnow]

United Bank Purchasing Cardinal Bank — Two regional banks are coming together to form what may be the “most dominant community bank” in the D.C. area. United Bank, which has four Arlington branches, is purchasing Cardinal Bank, which has five Arlington branches. [Washington Business Journal]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

A mobile food vendor on Columbia Pike

County Considering Rideshare Subsidies — Arlington County is studying a plan that would subsidize rides on Uber and Lyft for residents who live in “more remote residential areas of the county where bus service to Metro stations is limited.” The plan, if implemented, would “replace some fixed bus service in north Arlington.” [Washington Post]

APS SOL Results — The results of the Virginia Standards of Learning tests are out. In response, Arlington Public Schools released a press release with the title “APS Continues to Make Progress in Closing the Achievement Gap.” It says: “In 2016, the APS met or exceeded the state passing rates on 28 of 29 assessments, across all grade levels and subjects. APS exceeded the state passing rates by 5 to 13 percentage points on 16 of the assessments.” [Arlington Public Schools, InsideNova, Washington Post]

APS Doesn’t Make Newsweek List — Updated at 2:05 p.m. — Newsweek is out with its annual list of the top 500 public high schools in the country, and no Arlington public school made the list. In fact, only four Virginia high schools made the list. In 2010, every APS high school was on the list. APS says it has not been submitting stats to Newsweek over the past few years. [Newsweek]

Boxing Coming to Arlington This Weekend — A nine-card boxing bout will take place at the Crystal City Hilton hotel Friday night. [Fight News]

ACPD Wreath-Laying Ceremony at ANC — Arlington County Police brass laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday. [Instagram]

Lost Dog On the Pike — A woman is trying to find her lost chihuahua, which was last seen near the intersection of Glebe Road and 9th Street S., near Columbia Pike. [Twitter]

Crash Topples Streetlight, Traffic Signal in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com
1/7

A two-vehicle crash toppled over a streetlight and an attached traffic signal in Pentagon City today.

The wreck happened around noon, at the intersection of Army Navy Drive and S. Hayes Street, near the Pentagon City mall.

The exact circumstances of the crash were unclear, but one of the vehicles, an SUV, suffered seemingly minor front end damage while the second vehicle, a sedan with an Uber sticker in the window, suffered heavier damage. The damage to the sedan included a windshield apparently smashed by the light pole.

No injuries were reported. One travel lane on both Hayes and Army Navy, as well as part of the sidewalk, was blocked while crews worked to turn off power to the damaged pole and clean up the damage.

Uber Expands Food Delivery Service to Arlington

By ARLnow.com

UberEATS Arlington service map (image courtesy of Uber)Ride hailing service Uber has expanded its meal delivery service, UberEATS, to Arlington.

Hungry Arlington residents and workers can now use the UberEATS app to order food from local restaurants. Users can order off the full restaurant menu, rather than having to choose between a few select items.

“Uber is partnering with over a dozen restaurants in the Arlington area and working to add more every week,” said Uber spokeswoman Kaitlin Durkosh. “Depending on your location, you can also order from restaurants in D.C., too.”

The service is offered from 9 a.m. to midnight daily and, Uber claims, can deliver food in as little as 10 minutes. There’s a flat $4.99 delivery fee, plus the cost of the food.

The bad news is that there’s a limited delivery area. The Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, plus Pentagon City and Crystal City, are included. Some western, northern and southern portions of Arlington, including East Falls Church, Shirlington and Fairlington, are excluded. (See map, above.)

Uber announced the Arlington expansion of UberEATS in a blog post Thursday.

Three Men Arrested for Assaulting Uber Driver With Beer Bottle

By ARLnow.com

Police car lightsThree men were arrested Saturday night after allegedly attacking an Uber driver with a beer bottle.

The incident happened just before 11 p.m. on Washington Blvd near Columbia Pike. It started, police say, after the driver picked up six passengers, then later noticed that they were drinking alcohol from open containers inside the vehicle.

“The driver could smell alcohol,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

The driver asked the passengers to stop drinking; when they refused, the driver pulled over to the side of the road near an I-395 on-ramp and “terminated the fare,” forcing all six to get out, according to Savage.

A verbal confrontation ensued. At one point, three of the passengers — all 20-something men from Woodbridge, Va. — approached the vehicle again to retrieve property they had left inside, Savage said. At that point, one of the men punched and shattered a passenger-side window, and another man struck the driver in the face with a beer bottle, police allege.

The men also allegedly tried to take the keys out of the vehicle ignition, breaking them in the process.

The three men then split with the other three passengers and walked away, Savage said. Police, working with the driver and witnesses, obtained a description of the men. A short time later, police officer on scene noticed three men in an approaching taxicab. The officer pulled over the cab, identified the men and took them into custody.

“Justin Allen Norconk, 26, of Woodbridge VA, was arrested and charged with malicious wounding and assault by mob,” according to an ACPD crime report.” Lance Daniel Ingram, 25, of Woodbridge VA, was arrested and charged with assault by mob. Jeffery Eugene Rowe Jr., 26, of Woodbridge VA, was arrested and charged with destruction of property. All three suspects are being held without bond.”

The Uber driver was treated on scene for cuts to his face.

Update at 6:05 p.m. — Uber says the two riders who split the fare for the ride have been deactivated from the platform pending an investigation. “We’ve been in touch with the driver-partner and stand ready to assist the authorities with their investigation,” said a spokeswoman.

“We are deeply committed to the safety of drivers on the Uber platform,” the company said. “Drivers benefit from many of the same transparency and accountability features that riders do, such as providing feedback and ratings for every trip, which deter bad behavior from passengers.”

Arlington’s Red Top Cab Trying to One-Up Uber With App Features

By Heather Mongilio

Red Top Select appClarendon-based Red Top Cab has been rolling out new features on its smartphone app that the company hopes will set them apart from Uber.

The recently-updated Red Top Select app features allow users to reserve a cab in advance or repeat one of their previous trips with the touch of a button. The company says those features go beyond the functionality of Uber, which has been the scourge of traditional taxi companies and driver everywhere it operates.

“With Uber, riders have to wait until they are ready to ride and hope there is a car available near them and also hope that Uber is not charging surge prices at the time they need their ride. With the Red Top Select app, riders can select the date and time in advance and their car will be waiting for them, instead of them waiting for the car,” said Red Top Cab spokesman Von Pelot.

Riders also have the option to book a ride based on a previous destination, saving some effort, Pelot said.

Like with Uber, Red Top Cab app users can link a credit card and pay for the rides from their phones. The app also allows companies to hook up a corporate account, and riders can decide between getting picked up by a taxi, a Red Select sedan or a luxury car.

Red Top Cabs (File photo)

“Of course, the app also lets riders view available cabs/sedan in their area, select the type of ride they want (Red Top Cab, Red Select sedan or Red Select black car) and track the arrival of their vehicle,” Pelot said in an email.

The focus on technology comes at a time of transition for Red Top, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. The taxi company has sold its long-time Clarendon headquarters, which will eventually be torn down to make way for a new apartment or condo development.

Red Top is planning to stay in Arlington, but is still trying to figure out where exactly it will move to. The company is currently looking for a new location for its headquarters, Pelot said, but he could not go into additional specifics.

Disclosure: Red Top Cab is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

Columbia Pike Resident Surprised to Get $1,537.13 Uber Bill

By ARLnow.com

Crazy Uber billA Columbia Pike resident was charged more than fifteen hundred dollras for what she says was a short Uber ride to a friend’s place in Shirlington.

Jenny Partington says she was trying to call an Uber ride Friday night, but the app told her she couldn’t because she was “still on a trip.” The last time she had taken an Uber was the previous Saturday, Aug. 8, when she visited her friend. Partington canceled the trip, then was shocked when a four-figure bill arrived via email.

Partington was charged $1,537.13 for the ride — which was debited from her checking account because she pays for rides via Paypal.

“I figured this was obviously some kind of system error, either with the driver or with the software and that it would get reversed by Uber immediately,” she told ARLnow.com this morning. “I’ve tried to reach out to Uber via email about eight times and have heard nothing. And when I try and log in to Uber it now says my account has been disabled.”

“Clearly I’m super frustrated, especially as I’m closing on a house on Thursday and need that money for my down payment!” Partington continued.

ARLnow.com reached out to Uber to ask about the charge. Within an hour, Partington said she received the refund she had been seeking.

“I understand mistakes happen but the total lack of response after four days is unacceptable,” she said after being notified of the refund. An Uber spokesman declined to comment on the incident, citing the company’s privacy policy.

Police Seek Uber Driver for Alleged Sex Assault

By ARLnow.com

Police car lights(Updated at 5:15 p.m.) Arlington County Police are looking for an Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting a female passenger.

The incident happened early Sunday morning, on the 900 block of S. Randolph Street in the Alcova Heights neighborhood. It started with an Uber ride that left D.C. at some point between 2:45 and 4:00 a.m.

Police say an intoxicated woman, 29, and her friend ordered an Uber, but ended up getting in “an Uber cab that was not her intended ride.”

While in transit, the woman vomited in the back seat, according to ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The driver dropped off the friend before driving to S. Randolph Street to drop off the victim. It’s at that point that the alleged assault occurred.

“Despite the ride not being established via the app, the driver consented to provide a ride,” said the crime report. “The driver allegedly sexually assaulted the female victim when she was unable to pay the fare.”

The victim then fled to a friend’s house and called police. Police are now trying to track down the driver.

“The suspect is described as a Middle Eastern male with short, curly black hair, and a goatee,” according to the police report. “He was wearing a dark polo shirt and jeans at the time of the incident.”

As of this afternoon police said they had not yet reached out to Uber but planned to do so soon. An Uber spokesman said the company has contacted police and offered to assist with the investigation.

“We have contacted the authorities to offer our support in their investigation, and we continue to gather more information,” said Uber’s Taylor Bennett. “Our thoughts are with the victim during this difficult time.”

Bicyclist ‘Doored’ by Uber Passenger in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
1/6

A cyclist was hurt this morning in Rosslyn when the backseat passenger of an Uber car opened a door in his path.

The incident happened around 8:30 a.m. on N. Lynn Street, just south of Wilson Blvd. Initial reports indicate that the white BMW was stopped next to the bike lane when the Uber rider opened the rear passenger-side door just as the cyclist was about to roll by on a Capital Bikeshare bike. The cyclist slammed into the door.

Police and paramedics were called and the cyclist was treated on scene. He refused treatment to a local hospital.

The BMW’s door was damaged and would not fully close. No damage was visible to the Bikeshare bike. The cyclist was visibly shaken but did not have any outward sign of injury. No other injuries were reported.

The cyclist declined to comment to ARLnow.com, except to confirm that the car was moved closer to the curb after the accident.

Police took statements from the driver, the passenger and the cyclist. No word yet on whether any charges will be filed.

The incident happened as Arlington County Police officers were conducting a pedestrian safety detail just a couple of blocks down Lynn Street.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Balloons at a Giant store (Flickr pool photo by Jim Webster)

New Chinese Restaurant? — Noted chef Peter Chang appears to be planning to open a new Chinese restaurant at the Lee Harrison Shopping Center on Lee Highway. [Washington Business Journal]

Rosslyn: Hub of Hillary Intrigue — Rosslyn is home to an organization devoted to helping Hillary Clinton’s presidential prospects, an organization that spends much of its time trying to dig up dirt on Hillary, and a news organization that is covering the 2016 presidential race. This has created some awkward moments at Rosslyn’s few after-work watering holes. Concludes a magazine article: “The epicenter of the country’s great Hillary debate remains a small, charm-deficient enclave across the river from D.C.” [National Journal]

State Legislators Pass Uber Bill — Both houses of the Virginia General Assembly have passed a bill that would allow ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft to operate legally in the Commonwealth. [Washington Business Journal]

Bachelor Contestant Is From Arlington — Jillian Anderson, a now-former contestant on this season of ABC’s “The Bachelor,” is an Arlington resident. Anderson, 25, is described as a competitive weightlifter and an “outspoken gym junkie.” [WJLA]

Crystal City: City of the Future? — Paul Singh, founder of Crystal City-based Disruption Corporation and its Crystal Tech Fund, says he wants to model a “sustainable model for an American city of the future” in Crystal City. “Our efforts in the city should be a 100-year legacy,” he said. [Technically DC]

Flickr pool photo by Jim Webster

Police: Man Tried to Kiss Uber Driver, Then Stole Her Phone

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:50 p.m. on 12/23/21) A drunk Arlington resident tried to kiss the driver of his Uber ride then stole her phone when his unwanted advances were rebuffed, according to Arlington County police.

The incident happened just after 6:00 p.m. Saturday evening, on the 2200 block of S. Garfield Street in Nauck. Police say 31-year-old Richard [Redacted], who was intoxicated, became belligerent after trying to kiss the Uber driver.

“When she resisted the subject assaulted her and prevented her from calling police,” according to a crime report. “The subject stole her phone and left it on the front steps of his residence.”

The woman’s phone was “recovered by a witness.” Police arrested [Redacted] at his home shortly thereafter. While being hauled off to jail he allegedly tried to kick out the rear window of the police cruiser.

[Redacted] has been charged with robbery, preventing a 911 call and attempted destruction of property. He was held without bond.

Update at 11:15 a.m. — An Uber spokeswoman has issued the following statement about the incident to ARLnow.com:

“This is an appalling and serious crime. We are in contact with our valued driver partner and will continue to provide support. Upon learning of the incident we immediately and permanently removed the rider from our platform, and stand ready to assist authorities.”

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