Ride-share art car hits the streets of Houston.
A brand-new art car hit the streets of Houston this week, decked out in colorful florals and patterns by local artist Shelbi Nicole. Want to take a spin in it? You’ll have to order a cab from Alto, the Dallas-based luxury ride-share service.
“We really want to be part of the communities in which we operate,” says Alto co-founder and CEO Will Coleman. “(The art car) brings smiles and cheer to everybody who sees it. It supports Shelbi and her business and brings awareness to a cool Houston artist that we’re excited to support.”
Nicole is a Houston artist, designer and muralist who runs her own namesake line of prints, home goods and apparel. She also works on public art projects with the city, and her work has been commissioned by the likes of NASA and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
“When I created this Alto art car design, I couldn’t help but think about all the Houstonians who sit in hours of traffic everyday and how creating a vehicle with all sorts of feel-good vibes could help bring joy to their day,” said Nicole in a release.
Alto was founded in 2018, launching its first cars in Dallas in 2019, then in Houston in 2020. Unlike competitors, such as Uber and Lyft, Alto hires drivers as employees, instead of relying on the gig model, and has a dedicated fleet of cars.
“That allows us to offer our
passengers a safer, cleaner, more consistent and higher-quality experience than they would get anywhere else,” says Coleman. “We believe that we’re elevating the experience in ride share for both passengers and drivers.”
Bringing Alto into a new city during a pandemic is a challenge,
but Coleman says the cars already followed strict sanitary standards. When COVID-19 hit, Alto introduced various protective technologies and cleaning procedures, including HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) cabin air filters and custom plexiglass barriers. Alto also provides
personal protective equipment to its drivers and customers.
The new art car is a bonus. Passengers can order an Alto through the app, but there’s only one Alto art car driving around Houston, so getting it is extra special. “It’s kind of a fun, random surprise,” says Coleman.
The lucky ones on the receiving end of Nicole’s mobile artwork are encouraged to snap pictures with it and post them to social media. The car contains materials with information about the artist’s work, including a QR code to learn more.
Alto has launched several art cars in Dallas, some supporting local charities. Coleman says he hopes to bring more to Houston throughout the year.
“We’re always looking for interested partners, artists, charities that can help us weave into the fabric of the community,” he says. “And we’re looking for causes we can support.”