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The Utah Arts Festival is going new age on a transportation partnership with the sometimes controversial ride-hailing company Uber.
It's an effort to ease transportation and parking challenges surrounding the popular four-day event beginning Thursday, said development Director Aimee Dunsmore.
Uber users can get their first ride — under $20 — free and a $2 discount on admission with a receipt. (First-time users can go to uber.com/app. To get a free ride, patrons must up sign up using the code "artliveshere.")
It is among this year's transportation initiatives surrounding the festival, Dunsmore said.
The festival also is urging patrons to ride TRAX and bicycles.
The free rides are underwritten by Uber, not the arts festival, according to spokeswoman Teri Mumm.
Uber and its competitor, Lyft, have made headlines in Salt Lake City, among other places, for their "disruptive innovation" in ground transportation.
Would-be riders arrange for transportation on a smartphone app. No cash is exchanged. Many users say the service is fast, dependable and reasonably priced.
However, because these companies base their fees on a sliding scalebased on demand, rides surrounding large gatherings can be quite high. Last year, after several tries at placating the new ride-hailing companies, the Salt Lake City Council effectively deregulated taxi service, causing confusion, particularly at the Salt Lake City International Airport, where Uber and Lyft are not licensed to operate but reportedly have done so, anyway.
Earlier this year, the Utah Legislature followed suit, passing legislation that allowed ground-transportation companies to inspect their own vehicles and conduct their own driver-background checks. The legislation reduced the mandatory $1.5 million liability policies to $1 million carried by drivers when passengers are aboard.
The Legislature, however, allowed Salt Lake City to regulate the airport.
The ride-hailing companies and the legislation passed by Salt Lake City and the state Legislature have made cabdrivers furious and led to price gouging by some taxis, according to riders and reports to City Hall.
Rocky Anderson, who represents Yellow Cab, said the ride-hailing companies and the new regulations have left ground transportation in the capital city "in chaos."
He branded Uber and Lyft as "outlaws" who, with a lot of money and lobbyists, were able to get the Legislature to reduce insurance protection for the public, as well as other traditional regulations, such as guaranteed 24-hour service and meeting Americans with Disabilities requirements.
Uber approached the Arts Festival with the free-ride proposal, Dunsmore said. Festival officials determined to partner with Uber because it made sense for patrons. The arts fest also is partnering with the Utah Transit Authority for later TRAX service at Library Station, 225 E. 400 South. Thursday through Sunday, the last train will depart at 11:30 p.m. The festival runs from noon to 11 p.m. on those days.
This year's festival also features a bicycle parking lot on Washington Square at 400 South and about 200 East, where cyclists can park free and get a $2 discount at the gate.