The end of July saw Uber driving into Huntsville, Texas, an arrival a long anticipated by students and residents alike. This new addition to the college town will no doubt impact community.

What prevented Huntsville from having this widely known and popular transportation service?

A local law required transportation companies such as Uber to have a permit from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, as opposed to paying the annual fee of $5000 to remain open. The law demanded companies run local, state and federal background checks on all drivers every year.

Because of these regulations, drivers stopped running in several cities, including Austin.

Monday, May 29, 2017, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 100, which overrode the local law. House Bill 100 allows citizens to choose their mode of transportation, and with whom they may ride, creating a free enterprise within transportation apps.

The impact on the city will be a big one.

"I think bringing Uber to Huntsville will be positive." says Gerald Kohers, Chair of the Management and Marketing Department at Sam Houston State University. "Students will primarily benefit when it comes to not having to park on campus."

As many are well aware, parking is a constant frustration for students. Many have to arrive on campus much earlier than their schedule classes in order to find a parking spot, much less one that is closer to campus.

With Uber, they can find a ride quickly and get to campus closer to class.

The app will also help students and residents get to work and run errands more efficiently. Because not all students have vehicles, Uber will help reduce the time waiting on busy taxi services. As such, the app will provide competition for the few tax services in town.

Kohers further comments on the economic impact for students saying, "I also would expect that the majority of the Uber drivers would be students, which would add a source of income."

Jobs can be difficult to find in a smaller college town, but with the addition of Uber, students and residents alike can choose when and how they work on their own terms.

The app is simple and efficient to use.

Once an account is set up, users can input their credit card, eliminating the need to pay cash or credit in person. Passengers also now have the option to leave a tip from the app or to the driver directly.

Besides its simplicity, Uber has a personal touch that taxi services can't always provide.

Uber driver John Williams drove my roommate and me (on our first Uber ride in Huntsville) to campus the first week of school, commenting on how we were his first passengers.

Williams initially wanted to drive for Uber Eats, but discovered there were guidelines in place for vehicles. He had the option to lease a vehicle from Uber if his vehicle did not pass regulations.

Riding with our second driver brought new information which may hinder some prospective drivers.

Vehicles older than 15 years are not allowed in Uber. Our driver's vehicle was 13 and a half years old, so he would either have to lease or buy a new vehicle after another year.

Any changes the app brings will prove to be a beneficial addition to the town. Huntsville will see a positive economic impact, an improvement on parking and more reliable transportation around town with third-party ride-hailing services.