Uber is hosting a hackathon with the Dept. of Transportation

Uber and the Department of Transportation (DOT) are teaming up to host a hackathon.
That’s right — it’s called the “Celebrating Cities” hackathon and the aim is to connect residents of Baltimore and D.C. with transportation options that will enable them to access economic opportunity. The impetus comes from a New York University Rudin Center for Transportation study that found high unemployment and low incomes in areas with insufficient access to transportation options.
There are three big questions the hackathon hopes to focus on: Visualizing time use for different populations, catalyzing neighborhood revitalization and serving last-mile mobility.
This last goal is an interesting one in the current ridesharing market, given that first- and last-mile mobility has been a huge focus of Lyft’s recent marketing efforts]. You’ve probably seen the “friends with transit” campaign, emphasizing how Lyft complements rather than replaces public transport, on buildings and bus stops downtown.
Regardless, the upcoming hackathon sounds like a place for city-life enthusiasts and coders alike to consider themes of mobility, affordability, opportunity and more.
The hackathon will take place Feb. 26-28 at Uber’s D.C. offices just south of Dupont Circle, and will feature keynotes from Adam Rogal, the head of engineering for Uber’s developers platform and Dan Morgan, chief data officer at DOT.
Get more info, and RSVP, here.