by Michael Willoughby
Frisco Mayor, Jeff Cheney says Uber has chosen the North Texas city as the first test site for its verti-port, reports the Dallas Business Journal.
The paper points out that a helipad was built to serve as the first test site for Uber Elevate next to the station. The helipad meant for testing may also be the location of Uber’s next verti-port, the Journal surmises.
“The next leap is to be going vertical and into the air. We’re excited that Frisco is going to be the first location in the world to test this technology,” the Mayor told the paper.
“It’s in their master plan to be a permanent location and one of the first when it opens to the public,” said Cheney.
Cheney told the paper it would take someone seven minutes from the Frisco Station location to get to their terminal at DFW Airport.
“We are proud of the relationship we’ve built with Hillwood and all the unprecedented opportunities that come from working with a leading developer with like-minded views,” said Travis Considine, the communications manager for Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE: UBER) in Texas. “At more than 26,000 acres, including direct access to Fort Worth Alliance Airport and the region’s vast array of airports and transportation hubs, AllianceTexas offers a big canvas to develop, test and refine our advanced mobility technologies to create next-generation transportation options for the growing population of Dallas-Fort Worth,” the report said.