Orlando rideshare hub launches this weekend

ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - The City of Orlando says, on a given Friday or Saturday night, about 20,000 people are partying downtown. Some locals described what it’s like when the bars close.

“Chaos!” said Jodeci Miles. “People trying to run for parking spots and food, and people be drunk, so it's pretty lit.”

“It's like a mad dash,” agreed Matt Bardsley.  “You have to run through and down these side-streets to find a car so it's not easy.”

Starting May 3, there is a new option to get home safe. When the bars empty out, Heritage Square and Gertrude Avenue are becoming the spots to get a share ride home. People heading home will be directed to one of those two specific places downtown to get their ride.

“They check you in by taking a look at your app, putting you in this holding area, and matching you with your Uber or Lyft as they arrive,” explained Dominique Greco, the Rideshare Hub project manager.

There will also be taxis standing by. They say these Rideshare Hubs will accommodate people coming from bars on Orange Avenue between Church and Washington Streets.

“It's a small, walkable footprint specifically designed to satisfy our late night crowd,” Greco said.

There will also be bathrooms and food trucks set up in both spots for the folks waiting for their rides. Security will also be on patrol. Locals are behind idea.

“I think it's a great plan,” Bardsley said.

“I think that's a pretty dope idea,” agreed Miles.

The hub program is a six-month pilot to see how well the system works out before making it permanent.