Milwaukee was the first Wisconsin city to be introduced to Uber, but the company has expanded its service since it launched in early 2014. Uber’s Wisconsin coverage area now includes the Milwaukee, Madison, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Dells, Janesville, Kenosha, Racine and Green Bay areas. “We partner with drivers living in all the cities we operate, but we have also seen drivers who live in Milwaukee occasionally drive in those other areas of the state either to make some extra money on a busy weekend (i.e., a Packers home game in Green Bay) or to accept trips somewhere they were already planning to go (i.e., visiting family in Kenosha and driving during their stay),” said Dave Bauer, a spokesperson for Uber. Uber has facilitated more than 3 million rides since its Milwaukee launch, with an average of 200,000 trips taken each month. In July, more than 90,000 riders were transported via Uber in Milwaukee, the company said. The company has about 3,000 Milwaukee-area drivers who work varying hours to fit their schedules. Uber also indicated some of its riders use the service as a first mile or last mile solution to access public transit in Milwaukee. Both Uber and Lyft are in hundreds of cities across the country. Both companies subject drivers to criminal and driving history background checks, and they must meet minimum vehicle requirements. Lyft, which launched in Milwaukee in April 2014, declined to provide numbers on its drivers and riders. “We don’t have local specifics since we started in the market, but in the past year we’ve more than doubled rides,” said Mary Caroline Pruitt, a spokesperson for Lyft. “We’ve actually tripled our driver base in Milwaukee in the past year.” The company enters a new market when it receives interest and requests from residents, she said. And having another transportation option could potentially be life-saving. In cities with Lyft, 84 percent of drivers are more likely to avoid driving while impaired, she said.
SHARING IS CARING The philosophy of many sharing economy services is strangers helping each other out and giving each other a leg up or a sympathetic ear. Tom Wiedmeyer, owner of Hartford television commercial producer TPW
Productions, knows this concept well. He drives for Lyft in his free time – not for the extra income, but to meet new people. Wiedmeyer, 46, is better known in the ridesharing community as “Glowstick Tom” or “the disco Lyft.” He has glowstick bracelets, disco lights, music videos, starburst candy and water bottles for passengers. “We invite you to sit in the front seat, we have a conversation with you, and you’re basically a friend I haven’t met yet, but you’re a friend now,” Wiedmeyer said. The Hartford resident filled out an application to drive for Lyft before it got to Milwaukee and was one of the area’s first drivers, hired in February 2014. He mostly works weekend nights, when rides are most in demand, setting his hours as his schedule allows. The age of his riders varies, but they’re always more technologically savvy folks. He’s busiest during festivals like Pridefest and Brady Street Days and on holidays like Halloween. “I drive Lyft because I love the people I pick up. I love the stories I hear,” Wiedmeyer said. “I have a lot of deep conversations with people.” He also puts on music videos for singalongs when the time is right. “Taxis kind of ruled the roost for a while and there was no competition,” Wiedmeyer said. “A lot of the taxi drivers that would drive around Milwaukee I don’t think provided the great customer service that Lyft and our competitor do.”
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OPENING YOUR HOME TO STRANGERS Airbnb has a philosophy similar to Uber’s and Lyft’s, allowing residents to rent their homes to travelers looking for a place to stay, usually at a lower rate than area hotels. But it can also be a cash cow for homeowners renting out their properties. In November 2014, Dan Wilde, 38, and his wife, Sherry, 39, were looking for a new tenant for the other half of the duplex they owned at North 61st Street and West Wright Street in Milwaukee’s Uptown neighborhood. But the weather had turned cold and the holidays were approaching, so they didn’t think they would find one. A friend who traveled frequently suggested Airbnb, and the couple, who were already renting out another duplex property to traditional tenants, decided to give it a try. w w w.biztimes.com
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