Via press release, Macomb County, MI (June 30, 2015)
"In Macomb County, a jury summons now comes with a driver, providing on-demand transportation to and from the Courthouse. Macomb County Jurors will receive an Uber code good for a $20 ride each way or $40 round trip to and from the courthouse. In most cases, the code will cover the full cost of a ride. The ride must start or end at the Macomb County Circuit Court Building in Mount Clemens, and the cost will depend on the distance from a juror’s home.
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According to Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds Carmella Sabaugh, some Macomb County jurors have difficulty finding transportation for jury duty. Sabaugh also wanted a solution to help jurors who worry about finding parking or driving in bad weather. The County hopes to encourage civic participation by partnering with Uber to provide jurors with free round-trip fare. This 60 day pilot project comes at no cost to the Macomb County budget.
“The right to a jury of your peers is fundamental to our democracy, and Uber is helping Macomb County put innovation into the justice system to safeguard this right,” said Sabaugh. “Uber’s technology connects jurors with safe rides, frees up parking in the city, and creates an opportunity for Macomb County residents to earn extra cash by driving jurors to court to do their civic duty.”
After Macomb County jurors receive a summons and answer the online questionnaire, they will get a unique Macomb County Juror Uber link to create an Uber account. Jurors who choose to use the offer will be picked up at their home and dropped off at the Court Building in Mount Clemens. Jurors may also use their Macomb County Juror Uber code to request a ride home from the Court Building. Riders are encouraged to use the fare estimate feature in the Uber app to determine if the promotional code covers the round-trip fare.
Sabaugh, who has been the Macomb County Clerk / Register of Deeds since 1993, added that providing good service to county residents means embracing new technology, whether it's Uber, Google Apps for Government, Square, or other innovative services her office uses.
“Uber believes that getting a safe and affordable ride should be an option for everyone,” said Mike White, General Manager of Uber Michigan. “If we are able to come together as a community to minimize transportation deserts, civic participation will grow. We are excited to be a part of this pilot project and look forward to protecting and encouraging the democratic process in Macomb County.”"
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Addendum - July 3, 2015: We received some addition links to news stories on this program from our friends in Macomb County. Some of them are shown below:
- Macomb jurors can get free ride to court via Uber (Detroit Free Press)
- Macomb County clerk offering Uber rides to jurors (Macomb Daily)
- Macomb County pilot project offers ride to jury duty (AP)
- Jury Duty In Macomb County? Court Offers To Pay For Transportation Via Uber (CBS Detroit)
Uber believes that getting a safe and affordable ride should be an option for everyone, f we are able to come together as a community to minimize transportation deserts, civic participation will grow.
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