Ray Howze

rhowze@theleafchronicle.com

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Uber is now ready to go in Clarksville.

The company officially announced Thursday in a news conference at Mayor Kim McMillan's office that its ride-sharing service is now available in the city.

Thursday's expansion means the company footprint in Middle Tennessee now stretches from the greater Nashville area, including Murfreesboro, all the way north to Montgomery County and Fort Campbell.

Luke Marklin, general manager of Uber Nashville, said their mission is to be as "available as running water," so expanding to Clarksville was on their radar after expanding around Nashville.

"Right now in Nashville, ... we generally can be to your doorstep in under five minutes," Marklin said. "So as we've built out the product starting in Nashville, we've continued to expand and expand; now is a great time for Clarksville.

"We think we can provide that same level of service."

Those who download the Uber application to their phone will be able to request rides around town without having to use cash. Riders can pay (via credit card) and rate the driver / riding experience from the app.

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Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan, who took the first Uber ride in Clarksville following the announcement, said she expects it improve people's transportation options around the area.

"We have a fantastic public transportation system here in Clarksville, however they do not run at night and they don't run on the weekends," McMillan said. "There are various places throughout our very large county and city they are not able to service, and I think Uber will now fill in that gap and give the residents and visitors that come to Clarksville another alternative to be able access reliable and safe and economical transportation."

McMillan said her office has not heard from any of the local cab companies about Uber coming to the city. Clarksville has a number of cab companies already such as ABC Cab and 101st Airborne Cab. In some cities, such as St. Louis, cab companies have tried to block ride-sharing companies because they didn't have to operate under the same regulations.

Tennessee, however, has been one of the states at the forefront in welcoming businesses such as Uber and Lyft that offer ride-sharing. The state passed a bill last year that solved many of the insurance and criminal background check issues the companies have faced around the country.

Uber, Lyft law shows Tennessee welcomes on-demand companies

The mayor said Uber has had a consistent presence with The United States Conference of Mayors, one that Clarksville is a member of, and has been in touch with the company for a while.

"I have had contact with the Uber folks for some time about what can we do to get Uber to Clarksville," McMillan said. "...Once they (Uber) realized they had gotten into the Nashville market and penetrated it to such a degree, they felt they were ready to expand outwards and they felt Clarksville was a natural fit because of the similarities that we have with that city."

Clarksville riders could also take the service to the Nashville International Airport instead of driving.

For those trying to take Uber on to Fort Campbell, the service will have to operate like a normal cab company for the time being. Cab drivers have to go to the visitor control center to obtain a pass like any other vehicles before being able to access post, said Bob Jenkins, spokesman for Fort Campbell.

Jenkins said the requirements to get on post will remain intact.

"Moving forward, since this is a new thing for the Clarksville area, there may be the possibility there has to be some talking between the company and Fort Campbell," Jenkins said. "At this point it’s too early to say."

Marklin said Thursday they have started discussions with Fort Campbell to let them know they are operating in the area. Another option for some riders is to take the service to the gate and walk into post if the driver doesn't have a pass.

"It's a relationship we're working to build and we've started discussions with them," Marklin said.

Reach Ray Howze at 931-245-0750 or on Twitter @rayhowze_leaf.