Recommendations

How can the visualizations provide meaningful information to improve Uber's business model?

TARGET UP AND

COMING AREAS

The Gantry - Located in Union Market, this luxury project will offer approximately 600 residential units and multiple restaurants, attracting students attending the Gallaudet University as well as young professionals who depend on transit services in order to commute to neighboring employment centers such as Union Station and East End.

Expected delivery: 2021

Eckington Yard - A planned community that will include residential units in four connected buildings, with over 80,000 sq.ft of retail space and be located about 10 minutes from the Gallaudet University Metro Station. The mixed-use site will include 450 rental apartments, 225 condominium units, along with a central plaza, common pools, bike parking, and a promenade.

Expected delivery: 2021

The Wren - A modern luxury apartment complex near the U Street NW corridor that will feature over 400 apartments and has multiple parks and recreational sites such as Meridian Hill Park, The National Geographic Museum, and the National Zoo, which are located in surrounding areas but are not within walking distance, allowing for a high demand for Uber services.

Expected delivery: 2020

Washington D.C. continues to grow in population and incorporate dense residential developments surrounding the downtown region, which is why it would be greatly beneficial for Uber to dominate the transportation industry in these promising areas early on. The visualization to the left shows a conglomeration of construction projects expected to be completed in the coming years, resulting in an influx of people traveling to and from these residential units in the future. If Uber could focus on promoting their services by arranging Uber drivers to match the future demand of these currently less congested areas such as taxi zone 2C, they would be able to attract customers who have recently moved into these apartments without their own personal vehicle. Since much of the residents at mixed-use units will be young professionals without families, we can expect them to rely more on means of public transportation. Read below to find more information about the number of units, expected delivery, and location of these units in reference to the taxi zone boundaries.

Bryant Street- Apartment buildings located at the intersection of four growing neighborhoods: Edgewood, Eckington, Brooklyn, and Brentwood, have approximately 38,000 vehicles passing by the development site per day. The first phase of this development will include more than 300 residential units and an additional 40,000 square feet of retail space. Uber drivers can expect a high demand from an apartment complex near the downtown area.

Expected delivery: 2021

DRIVER

ALERT

SYSTEM

According to the distribution of Uber rides within the five boroughs of New York City, it is obvious that there is a surge in demand for ride sharing services during pre-planned events such as local parades, concerts, and sports games. For these reasons, it would greatly benefit Uber drivers to conglomerate around these areas when people in attendance would be looking to commute back home from these venues. Ideally, Uber application developers could use websites that have data on upcoming events such as concert ticket selling websites, sports channels, or use Google Events for a more encompassing calendar, to link to the Uber application itself. Notifications, as seen in the wireframe to the right, can alert drivers when and where busy events are taking place so they can gain customers fast while simultaneously reducing waiting times for Uber users.

CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION

SYSTEM

Similar to the above mentioned Driver Alert System, customers could also be alerted of when prices are about to increase or decrease in real time, depending on the time of day, so users can make smart decisions and be assured they are receiving the best deal. In addition, this notification can retain customers who aren’t in a huge rush or would like to save money if they are told prices will decrease significantly if they are able to wait for a few more minutes. When too many passengers request a ride in a similar area and there are not enough drivers to meet that demand, Uber will give a monetary bonus to drivers who can quickly show up in the desired area and although customers will have shorter pickup times this way, the individual pricing for rides can be significantly higher. For these reasons, Uber can ensure much greater customer satisfaction by making the customer aware of the pricing of the same ride half an hour before or after the period of high demand. This notification system will not only ensure Uber’s customers are truly receiving the best deal for their rides and increase their trust in the company, but it will also retain the customers for longer and distinguish Uber from other ride hailing companies.