Rolling in

Innovative Dallas ride-share app arrives in Fort Worth with cars and food-delivery

Their cars are easy to spot.

Photo courtesy of Alto

Under normal circumstances, ride-sharing is a daily part of life for folks shuttling to bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues in Fort Worth. But in these days of COVID-quarantine, the highlight of the day has become food delivery from a favorite restaurant.

Now a Dallas-based ride-share app is rolling into Fort Worth to do both. Altowill begin offering both ride-share and delivery in Fort Worth on Wednesday, April 15.

"Alto was founded with the mission of providing clean, safe, and consistent rides. Today, those same tenets are more important than ever before, not only for rides but also for deliveries," says CEO Will Coleman, who co-founded Alto in January 2019. "While our city, our state, and our country are under orders to stay at home, we know that Alto's ability to deliver everyday essentials in a clean and safe way is critical to keeping our local economy running.

"That's why we've decided to accelerate our expansion plans and launch Alto's service in Fort Worth. Effective immediately, even more North Texans will have access to Alto's delivery service during this unprecedented time of need."

As a ride-share app (available for either iPhone or Android), Alto touts itself as a safer, more consistent approach to hailing a ride. Its fleet of new SUVs is driven by employees who receive salaries and benefits. Each car is branded with the Alto logo (so riders can be sure they're stepping into the right vehicle), and cloud-based cameras capture both interior and exterior videos of the ride.

While anyone can use the app, memberships make rides more economical for regular users. It costs $12.95 per month to access the service, which then unlocks fares that are 30-50 percent lower and per-ride pricing that never surges, the company says.

Concierge from Alto is a newer, personal-shopping service. Users set a pickup and drop-off location, provide a detailed shopping list, book a concierge, and then wait for the items to be delivered.

And The Market from Alto now lets users purchase a bundle of produce or other curated "Quarantine Essential Kits" presented on the website and app. Options include a fresh fruit bundle from local farmers ($27), a pack of Wagyu center-cut strip steaks from Rosewood Ranches ($79), a 24-pack of Topo Chico ($29), Wine-O-Clock Somewhere Bundle ($70), and more. They're working on adding some Fort Worth options to the mix, they say.

Alto can deliver takeout meals and meal kits (including alcohol) from local restaurants, too. For more information on services, hours, pricing, and more, visit their website.

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Police News

Fort Worth police officer fired for unjustified use of force

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A Fort Worth police officer has been terminated following his involvement in a use of force incident. According to a release, Officer Matthew Krueger was let go on December 18, following an investigation into an incident involving someone who was videotaping his actions while he was on duty.

On Sunday, June 23, Fort Worth police officers responded to a hit-and-run collision near 1000 Foch St. The incident involved a suspected intoxicated driver who crashed into another vehicle and a structure before fleeing the scene on foot.

While officers were investigating, a woman approached them and used her cell phone to record their actions. Krueger asked and advised her multiple times to move across the street. When she failed to comply, she was placed under arrest.

During the arrest, Krueger used force to take the woman into custody, resulting in injuries that required medical care at an area hospital.

After being treated, the woman was released from the hospital, booked into jail, and charged with interference with public duties, resisting arrest and/or detention, evading arrest, and making a false alarm or report.

Krueger had been with the department for just under eight years and was assigned to the Patrol Bureau at the time of the incident.

The Fort Worth Police Major Case and Internal Affairs Units began immediate and congruent investigations. Krueger was transferred from Patrol to a unit with no public interaction, pending the outcome of the investigation.

After a review of the Internal Affairs investigation, Krueger’s chain of command determined that the level of force used was unjustified and violated departmental policy. Police Chief Neil Noakes concurred and terminated Krueger’s employment.

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