Uber snubs airport, enters deal with Red Beam Garage

By Ethan Hartley
Posted 6/28/18

By ETHAN HARTLEY Ridesharing company giant Uber didn't take long to find a new suitor to cash in on high traffic coming and going from T.F. Green Airport, as they have entered into an agreement with privately-owned Red Beam Garage, located just a short

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Uber snubs airport, enters deal with Red Beam Garage

Posted

Ridesharing company giant Uber didn’t take long to find a new suitor to cash in on high traffic coming and going from T.F. Green Airport, as they have entered into an agreement with privately-owned Red Beam Garage, located just a short walk from the main terminal, earlier this week.

“We are partnering with ProPark to ensure that Rhode Island residents and visitors can once again get an affordable, reliable ride when leaving the airport,” said Uber spokeswoman Alix Anfang through a statement.

The Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC), which operates T.F. Green, and Uber severed ties in late April following an inability to reach a new agreement amidst rising fees for picking up passengers from outside the terminal – fees that Uber said were unreasonably high and that T.F. Green officials said were in line with most other airports in the nation, especially since the airport did not charge a fee for dropping off fares, only for picking them up.

Regardless, Uber refused to pay either the original $6 fee – which constituted a 100 percent increase from what was originally a $3 fee – or the re-negotiated $4.50 fee offered by the airport. They suspended service from the airport and did not return to the negotiating table.

Now, just a couple months later, Uber has found another willing suitor in ProPark America, which owns and operates the newly reopened Red Beam Garage, located within short walking distance of the airport. Red Beam will allow Uber to pick up passengers from its facility for a fee (paid by the Uber passenger) of just $3.36, of which $3 goes to Red Beam and 36 cents will go to the airport, collected through a 12 percent tax on business conducted by properties that have direct access to the airport.

“Propark is excited to partner with Uber on a program that brings back convenient and affordable ride sharing services to the many customers who utilize T.F. Green Airport for their traveling needs,” said Sean Lampert, Regional Vice President for ProPark, in a statement. “We look forward to providing another avenue of ease and convenience for these travelers at the Red Beam Garage C through this partnership.”

In a conversation on Wednesday, airport spokesman Bill Fischer said that Uber had every right to pursue other options and to enter into the agreement, and that the airport would not try to impede such a deal in any way.

“We wish them well,” Fischer said. “We've negotiated in good faith and they chose to go in a new direction. As far as we're concerned the matter is resolved.”

Ridesharing competitor Lyft still operates out of T.F. Green, and reportedly accepted the airport’s offered $4.50 fee structure.

Comments

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  • Justanidiot

    master mayer, you has gots to renegotiate this contract. whats going on is criminal

    Thursday, June 28, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Justanidiot,

    Sorry, old friend. I'm not going to get involved in this fight. My priority with the Airport is twofold.

    1. To get them to increase their PILOT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) and to complete the repairs/renovations they promised to the surrounding neighbors. They caused Warwick to loose the tax revenue of hundreds of homes and all we got was water pollution, soil pollution, air pollution and noise pollution. As Mayor, I WILL renegotiate the airport agreement.

    2. To get them to improve the water quality coming out of their drainage and into Warwick Ponds. This goal has already been partially achieved through many hours of negotiations between the airport and the Friends of Warwick Ponds of which I am a proud member. I was part of the team that met with them several times and the outlook is very positive. On a tour this month I sampled the water personally. It was remarkably clean! Vastly improved from 2 years ago when I couldn't even breath near the drain pipe! That communication is still ongoing and still getting better! Many thanks to the airport people for their effort.

    Happy Summer everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Friday, June 29, 2018 Report this

  • Scal1024

    You know what else causes Warwick to lose tax revenue? When folks don't pay their taxes on time...

    Friday, June 29, 2018 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    sews, youse is just going to givee uber and the airport a pass. eye em beginng to lose faith in youse.

    Friday, June 29, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Justanidiot,

    No old friend, not a pass, just a focus on the 80,000 Warwick taxpayers that are paying the tab.

    Happy Summer Justanidiot.

    Hope you make the July 3rd fireworks at Oakland Beach

    Rick

    Friday, June 29, 2018 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    uf coarse master mayer likes taxpayer funded firewerks, day is a lot of flashy lights, big booms booms and nothing left to shows except dat everyone goes backs to work the next day

    Monday, July 2, 2018 Report this

  • Cat2222

    I find myself confused after reading a bunch of comments. What is the deal with the 80,000 taxpayers number? There aren't 80,000 taxpayers in Warwick. That would mean that children under the age of 18 are paying taxes.

    I can see that the last census put Warwick at 80,871, with 14% being under 18. That would potentially give us 66,000 taxpayers right? Sorry but these kinds of round ups really drive me crazy. We have the facts at our fingertips so why not use an honest number? If I am wrong please let me know.

    Monday, July 2, 2018 Report this

  • Scal1024

    You are 100% correct Cat. I'm pretty sure CrickeeRaven, Kammy, myself and MANY OTHERS have tried to tell Mr Corrente there are not 80,000 taxpayers in Warwick. He continues to use that figure here and in public. It once again speaks to his level of ignorance that he continues, against all fact based corrections, assert that he knows more than everyone else. I thank you for the correction as it once again shows, any rational voter knows the 80,000 number is false.

    Monday, July 2, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Cat, you point out yet another defect in the make-believe mayor's behavior as a candidate.

    When he has explained his erroneous and delusional belief about the number of taxpayers in Warwick, he has essentially said that since he (alone) considers everyone a taxpayer, his claim is justified.

    So, not only has he made up a number, but his only support for it is his imagination.

    As you rightly point out, voters expect more from candidates and are far too intelligent to fall for the make-believe mayor's attempts to fool them.

    Monday, July 2, 2018 Report this