A brand new free water shuttle between Alameda Landing on the west end of Alameda Island on the foot of the tubes and Jack London Square in Oakland is scheduled to start operating later this month.

The Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle will begin operations on Wednesday, July 17, and can operate 37 trips per day. Each trip will take lower than 10 minutes. The 45-foot yellow pontoon vessel will accommodate roughly 34 people and 14 bicycles and will probably be operated by San Francisco Bay Ferry.

The undeniable fact that the water shuttle will carry bikes is a win for the cycling community, said Justin Hu-Nguyen, co-executive director of Mobility Justice in Oakland.

“There are big problems on the west side of Alameda getting to Oakland,” Hu-Nguyen said. “We've been waiting for this for a long time.”

There isn’t any pedestrian or bicycle access within the Webster Tube and only a 36-inch wide elevated path through the Posey Tube – the primary arteries to and from the island.

Cyclists say the ride could be scary and noisy, and the black soot on the partitions is an indication of the poor air quality within the underwater tunnel. Buses run between West Alameda and Jack London Square, however the ride takes far longer than 10 minutes. The ride from West Alameda to Jack London Square takes about 10 minutes, but can take longer during commuter hours.

“We are thrilled to have found a way to create a pleasant connection for pedestrians and cyclists between Oakland and Alameda's west end,” said Mike O'Hara, board chairman of the Alameda Transportation Management Association, in an announcement. “This gap has existed for far too long and we greatly appreciate the commitment of our funding partners, the City of Alameda and SF Bay Ferry, to creating this shuttle.”

The project has been within the works for about 15 years, but funding has been difficult. The two-year pilot project is funded with $1 million from the Alameda County Transportation Commission and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and greater than $1.7 million from the Alameda Transportation Management Association, the West Alameda Transportation Demand Management Association, the Port of Oakland, the Jack London Improvement District and town of Alameda.

The latest boat even has a reputation.

Sarah Henry, Alameda's communications and legislative commissioner, said the project team named the boat Woodstock “because the boat is yellow like Snoopy's friend Woodstock, but Woodstock is also one of the three original settlements established in Alameda in 1853, 171 years ago.”

The boat transports people across the Oakland Estuary from Alameda on Wednesdays and Thursdays starting at 7:15 a.m., with the last boat of the day leaving Alameda at 7:25 p.m. On Fridays, the water taxi departs Alameda starting at 8:15 a.m., with the last boat leaving Alameda at 8:00 p.m. The weekend morning schedule is similar as Fridays, except the last water taxi of the day departs Alameda at 8:05 p.m. There isn’t any service on Mondays and Tuesdays.

“I am very pleased that Woodstock will be served by SF Bay Ferry, which currently operates transbay ferries connecting Oakland and Alameda to destinations in San Francisco and the Peninsula,” Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft said in an announcement.

The water shuttle will operate between public piers at Bohol Circle Immigrant Park, on the foot of fifth Street in Alameda, and on the foot of Broadway at Jack London Square. The Alameda pier is near grocery stores and shopping at Alameda Landing, in addition to parks and latest residential developments. The Oakland pier is situated in the center of Jack London Square, a preferred shopping and dining destination within the East Bay.

The water shuttle was purchased from a New York tour boat operator and transported cross-country to Svendsen's Bay Marine shipyard in Richmond for maintenance and repairs. The U.S. Coast Guard will conduct a final inspection of the boat before it’s launched on July 17.

Above announced several latest product updates designed to assist its customers get monetary savings on rides and food on Wednesday at the corporate's annual Go Get Show in New York City.

The product updates reflect Uber's continued commitment to driving growth and demand across its mobility and delivery businesses. The latest features could help the corporate attract more drivers and users to its app.

Here are the important thing latest offerings the corporate announced:

Uber shuttle

Riders searching for a less expensive method to get to the airport, work, or live events like sports games and live shows can reserve seats on an Uber shuttle.

Uber has partnered with local shuttle services This will pick up drivers and take them to their destination. Uber says its shuttle services employ commercially licensed drivers, and users can tip and rate them directly within the Uber app.

The shuttles may have between 14 and 55 seats. Users can reserve as much as five seats seven days prematurely and receive a QR code ticket. Riders can track the placement of their shuttle inside 25 minutes of departure time.

The company said the shuttle will cost a “fraction of the price” of an UberX ride. The trip is not going to be affected by price increases.

Uber will begin rolling out the feature this summer at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and choose concert venues in Chicago, Pittsburgh and Charlotte, North Carolina. Uber announced that it will expand its offering in the longer term.

Uber attendant

Users who depend on the support of nursing staff in on a regular basis life will have the option so as to add them on to their profiles starting this summer. This allows caregivers to book rides for people they take care of and order medical care and groceries on their behalf.

The feature also enables three-way chats between drivers, passengers and carers.

Uber said the user's insurance advantages could also be used where appropriate to reduce out-of-pocket costs. Uber Caregiver will initially serve Medicaid recipients, customers age 65 and older with Medicare Advantage, and customers with industrial insurance through their employer.

Caregivers can enroll to be notified when more insurance providers are added.

Costco on Uber Eats

Uber said Costco will likely be available as an on-demand option on Uber Eats at select U.S. locations starting Wednesday.

Users can order products from Costco even in the event that they should not members. However, Uber said members save between 15% and 20% in comparison with non-members.

Costco members can enter their membership numbers within the Uber Eats app and are eligible for a 20% discount on Uber One, the corporate's subscription membership.

Schedule UberX Share

Uber said it’s rolling out a brand new feature on Wednesday that permits users to plan a shared ride prematurely. This feature saves users around 25% on average in comparison with a typical UberX ride, the corporate says. Drivers can plan their trips 10 minutes prematurely.

Scheduled UberX Share rides will initially roll out in cities with the best return-to-office rates. These include New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and San Diego. Uber said more locations would follow.

Uber One for college kids

Uber will offer its Uber One membership program to students at a reduction. The program normally costs $9.99 monthly, but is obtainable to students for $4.99 monthly.

The company said students can even get access to free items and special offers, comparable to every day discounts on their orders at Taco Bell, Domino's and Starbucks.

The Uber One Student plan launches within the US in May. It will launch in Canada, New Zealand, Mexico and Australia in July and in Japan and France in September.

Uber Eats listings

Uber is launching a brand new feature called Lists on Uber Eats that permits users to curate and share lists of restaurants and destinations. The company shared examples like “date night desserts” and “toddler-friendly” meals.