getting around town

Toyota and AARP power up new mobile ride-hailing program in Dallas

The service can be booked for trips to the grocery store.

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AARP and Toyota are joining with Dallas-area organizations for a new transportation initiative. The AARP Ride@50+ Program allows residents to book rides on multiple modes of transportation and pay for them all in one place.

This includes essential rides such as COVID-19 vaccination appointments, trips to the grocery store or pharmacy, or medical appointments.

"Every day people miss crucial medical appointments because of a lack of access or awareness in using local transportation options," said Kyle Rakow, vice president and national director of AARP Driver Safety, in a statement. "By arming older adults with knowledge and an accessible platform, we hope to make it easier for those in Dallas to get around, especially if it helps them stay safe and healthy."

Those who wish to receive a COVID-19 vaccinations through Parkland Hospital and Dallas County are eligible for free rides to their appointment. The rides are made possible because of a grant from Toyota.

The AARP Ride@50+ was created as a single point of access to "review, compare, book, and pay for local transportation alternatives through a mobile application, online booking platform, or by phone."

According to program materials, the cost of each ride depends on the length and transportation option chosen. The cost is made clear ahead of booking. Payment is made using any major credit card. Prior to booking a ride, passengers and transportation providers must agree to follow all applicable future and current COVID-19 safety recommendations, including CDC and state guidelines.

The program is available to people of all ages but focuses its efforts on individuals 50 and older and other vulnerable individuals. AARP membership is not required.

In addition to Dallas County, the program is currently serving residents in Richland and Lexington County, South Carolina; and Washtenaw County, Michigan.

"The AARP Ride@50+ Program offers a simple, affordable, and efficient solution to finding local transportation for people of all ages," said Sean Suggs, group vice president, Toyota Social Innovation. "This program makes it easier to access critical services and help people get to where they want to go, and that is what mobility for all is about."

For more information, visit www.aarp.org/ridedallas or call 1-800-466-1461.

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transportation

Coworking News

New coworking space to open in Dallas' Oak Lawn neighborhood

Office Evolution

A coworking space is opening in Dallas in a central location: Office Evolution, a Louisville-based coworking chain, will open what a release says is a "state-of-the-art coworking space" at 3500 Oak Lawn Ave. #360 in Dallas at the southeast corner of Lemmon Avenue.

No details on what makes it state-of-the-art, but construction is ongoing and an opening is anticipated in mid-October.

Office Evolution was founded in 2003 as a shared workspace-coworking environment, cultivated on the principles of "Ohana," the Hawaiian tradition that references family working toward a common goal. (The founder was from Hawaii.)

The company started out in Boulder, Colorado, then relocated its headquarters to Louisville. It's an affiliated brand of United Franchise Group, and is part of The Vast Coworking Group, which specializes in franchising within the coworking industry. All of their locations are franchised.

The Dallas location is owned by franchisee Michael Pickering, a Dallas native who runs a family-owned indoor soccer facility in Dallas. (There are two other Office Evolution locations in the DFW area in McKinney and Southlake, owned by different franchisees.)

They're describing the Dallas location at 3500 Oak Lawn Ave. as "Turtle Creek," although its location at Oak Lawn and Lemmon really puts it at the epicenter of Oak Lawn. (To further complicate matters, the building previously and incorrectly described its address as "Uptown.")

It's a seven-story building in which the majority of tenants are doctor and medical offices.

Office Evolution rates include a coworking day pass for $25, plus "flex" office options starting at $200 a month for 20 hours, up to $550 a month for 80 hours.

Amenities of the building that are also accessible to Office Evolution customers include a front desk; a 1,000-square-foot fitness center; covered parking; and on-site security six days a week.

According to a spokesperson, Pickering and his team put $1.2 million into the renovation to transform the space, which occupies most of the fourth floor where it will span 9,240 square feet of space with 41 total offices — one of which is earmarked as an "on-demand office" for the professional on the go.

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