Uber's olive branch to cities: Free travel time site will allow planners to use passenger data

Uber is offering a helping hand to some of the same city leaders it sometimes antagonizes with the aggressive way it runs its popular ride-hailing service. The assistance will come in the form of a free website, called'Movement,' expected to be available to the public in mid-February. Uber announced the new website on the eve of a transportation-planning conference in Washington. The website draws upon data Uber gathers from its ride-hailing service showing average travel times on specific routes at any day or time. Although anyone can use the website, Uber says it believes its main audience will be city officials dealing with congestion in their streets and transit systems.