The mayor met Friday with the heads of Uber's self-driving car efforts and public affairs in Pennsylvania.
Peduto wasn't available for comment, but Tim McNulty, his spokesman, told the Tribune-Review the meeting was positive and provided a chance for the mayor to meet Eric Meyhofer, the company's new head of self-driving cars, and discuss electric vehicles, access for the disabled and a plan to help Uber drivers attend community college.
Uber confirmed the topics.
Shari Shapiro, head of public affairs for Pennsylvania and Delaware, attended the meeting as well. Meyhofer is co-founder of Carnegie Robotics , a robotics professor at Carnegie Mellon University and part of CMU's National Robotics Engineering Center.
“Today we had a positive discussion with Mayor Peduto and identified several areas where we can work collaboratively for the benefit of Pittsburgh,” Uber spokesman Craig Ewer said in a statement.
Both the mayor and Uber have said they want to rebuild their relationship after a tumultuous start to 2017. The mayor publicly criticized Uber and former CEO Travis Kalanick. Peduto was critical of the company's handling of Trump's travel ban. He accused it of not treating its drivers well and for not being a good partner with Pittsburgh.
Peduto told the Tribune-Review in June he was encouraged by recent changes at Uber.
Kalanick resigned as CEO in June. A report released the same month by the law firm of former Attorney General Eric Holder recommended widespread changes to address company culture problems, including adopting the “Rooney Rule” for hiring women and minorities. A separate investigation by the firm Perkins Coie into complaints of sexual harassment led to the firing of 20 people.
Uber launched its 180 Days of Change campaign in which it promises to make significant changes to benefit drivers. The company allowed tipping drivers through its app as part of the campaign.
Uber also reached out to Peduto's office in late 2016 and early 2017 with offers of help, according emails reviewed by the Tribune-Review under an open records request. The city, however, didn't respond.
Shapiro, who met with Peduto on Friday, sent three emails to Alex Pazuchanics, policy coordinator for Peduto, and Kevin Acklin, Peduto's chief of staff, asking for a list of high-priority events Uber could help sponsor and for infrastructure projects with which the company could help.
“Can we please set up a call this week to discuss Mayor Peduto's priority events for 2017, and the potential infrastructure investments so that we can move the state funding opportunity forward?” Shapiro wrote to Pazuchanics on Dec. 19, five days after a similar email received no response.
Peduto had been critical of Uber for not pledging $50 million for infrastructure improvements as part of the city's federal Smart Cities grant application.
Shapiro wrote to Pazuchanics again on Jan. 20 to ask about Peduto's priorities for 2017 and “infrastructure projects we can help facilitate funding for.”
The emails provided by the city to the Tribune-Review did not include any responses from the city. Nor did the emails indicate that the city ever provided Uber with a list of events or infrastructure projects. Uber said it did not receive a response to the emails or a list of priorities from the city.
Peduto told the Tribune-Review in June that we was aware of the emails and chose not to respond. McNulty, the mayor's spokesman, told the Tribune-Review on Friday that the city connected Uber with the National Summit on Design and Urban Mobility, which the city hosted and Uber helped sponsor. McNulty said the city held off on detailing infrastructure projects because the city was in the process of hiring its first director of mobility and infrastructure, a position established to oversee transportation. The city hired Karina Ricks in February to head the department, first as an interim director and later permanently.
“We just weren't comfortable with going over infrastructure priorities until she got acclimated,” McNulty said.
About a week after Shapiro's Jan. 20 email, Peduto's public campaign against Uber started.
On Feb. 1, Shapiro emailed Acklin and Pazuchanics about Uber offering free rides to water stations while much of the city was under a boil water advisory.
“Whatever the mayor's concerns may be, our commitment to Pittsburgh is very real,” Shapiro wrote. “We heard about the water crisis, and we want to help.”
Uber offered $10,000 in free rides to anyone and targeted another $10,000 in free rides to under-served communities. Shapiro asked Acklin and Pazuchanics to help Uber identify which communities had the most need.
About a week before the water crisis, Uber also donated $10,000 in free rides to the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.
Uber also found other ways to be involved. The company recently hosted a community fair at its Advanced Technology Group headquarters in the Strip District in which local organizations and groups seeking volunteers or support could connect with employees.
Uber also invited police and fire departments to use its test track at the Almono development in Hazelwood, became a lead sponsor of Open Streets Pittsburgh and brought a self-driving Volvo to the events and sponsored and hosted teachers and students for a science, technology, engineering and math summit at the ATG headquarters, the company said.
Other sponsorships, donations and collaborations include:
- Chartiers Valley High School robotics team trip to the FIRST Robotics World Championship in St. Louis;
- Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix;
- Veterans Place of Washington Boulevard;
- 2017 Kids' Days at Schenley Plaza;
- Walk Like MADD event, part of its statewide partnership with MADD PA
- Several technology and innovation events at Pittsburgh-area schools and libraries
