Results of the 2016 UMRA Survey and the October 2017 Town Hall Meeting indicate that some UMRA members are seeking alternative transport to get to places, including luncheons.

As the Cares Committee has been exploring options, they have encountered some successes and some frustrations. They invite readers to share their own experiences.

Uber is an alternative taxi service with quick response times and inexpensive rates. After struggling to get the Uber app on his iPhone, Ron Anderson tried ordering an Uber pickup after an evening Campus Club event. Because only buses and trains are allowed on Washington Avenue in front of Coffman, he asked for Uber to pick him up at Coffman’s south entrance, 300 Delaware SE. That address covers a block-long distance and Ron says that makes it difficult to spot an Uber car because they often have little visible identification. Has anyone learned of a solution to this difficulty?

Transit Link, run by the Metropolitan Council, offers pickup and delivery in one of 75 mini-buses within the seven-county area for a fee ranging from $2.25 to $7 each way. Reservations for rides must be scheduled at least two hours in advance and not more than 5 days ahead. When Maggie Catambay tried the service in Dakota County by calling 651-602-LINK (5465), she found it confusing. Even though the Transit Link website is filled with details about how to use this service, she needed a lot of help from the reservation specialist and the driver, and still, she was confused about how to pay for the ride. “The website said we could use a Go-To Card (light rail/bus card) or the exact cash; however, one driver did not accept my U Pass (transit card available to persons registered for classes at the U) and another asked if I were a personal assistant, because PAs ride free,” she said.

If you have had experiences using Uber, Transit Link, or another innovative form of getting around, please email Maggie Catambay at [email protected].  The Cares Committee would like to share what you have learned.

— Maggie Catambay, Cares Committee