SmartRail World reports that Uber has announced a partnership with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) to help solve the challenge of passengers getting to or from the station or bus stop. Uber is offering Atlanta residents who are new to the service to sign up get their first trip free, up to a $20 value. MARTA CEO Keith Parker speaking to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution acknowledged that Uber can help complete journeys for passengers using mass transit in Atlanta; “There are places that don’t make sense for us to add new bus or train service. This Uber partnership is to take care of that last mile of service.” For us at CAVCOE, this is an excellent example of how Uber — and the AV version in the future — can be complementary to traditional transit services. Any city seeking to ban Uber and similar services could well be, without realizing it, having a negative impact on a service that can actually help transit..