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New Research on How Ride-Hailing Impacts Travel Behavior

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Re: New Research on How Ride-Hailing Impacts Travel Behavior

#21
post #18

I’m a big proponent of mass transit and when it’s available I use it if I can. But I can get Lyft door to door for just $1-2 more than a bus or train. If mass transit wants to keep with rideshare and livery they need to: expand routes, increase availability, update their equipment. When I was a kid I knew how to read a bus schedule and train map to plan my trip. Now, there is an entire generation of kids in school an…

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Re: New Research on How Ride-Hailing Impacts Travel Behavior

#22
I'm very interested in the convergence of Lyft-Line/Uber-Pool service with bus service. It's easy to imagine Lyft and Uber running dynamically adjustable bus/van routes -- basically jitneys/peseros that take advantage of smart phones -- that are faster, more reliable, and cheaper than city buses. (Vans are super cheap per passenger if they are always full.)

Lyft has taken small steps in this direction by asking Line riders to get out a short walk from their destination when it would save the rest of the group a lot of time, but this strikes me as modest and poorly designed. (Instead of relying on altruism, why not offer a variable discount, $1-$5, determined by the amount of time saved so that the rider can easily judge whether it's worth it?)

Have there been any news/developments on this recently?

Re: New Research on How Ride-Hailing Impacts Travel Behavior

#23
post #15
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really. All it would do is increase costs on those least able to afford it.

It would also solve congestion, though.

yeah but the point is do we really want to reduce congestion by making poor people unable to afford transportation

Re: New Research on How Ride-Hailing Impacts Travel Behavior

#24
post #9

Link to the actual report: https://itspubs.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/themes/ucdavis/pubs/d... What it actually says: "Directionally, based on mode substitution and ride-hailing frequency of use data, we conclude that ride-hailing is currently _likely to_ contribute to growth in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the major cities represented in this study." (Emphasis mine)

Are there realistic situations where a cheaper and more convenient form of driven transport leads to fewer VMT?

Re: New Research on How Ride-Hailing Impacts Travel Behavior

#26
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would also solve congestion, though.

yeah but the point is do we really want to reduce congestion by making poor people unable to afford transportation

The poor people take the buses anyway which finally now run on time

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-21451245

Re: New Research on How Ride-Hailing Impacts Travel Behavior

#27
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would also solve congestion, though.

yeah but the point is do we really want to reduce congestion by making poor people unable to afford transportation

Ya, that is indeed the question. Just pointing out that it would in fact work.

Re: New Research on How Ride-Hailing Impacts Travel Behavior

#28
post #16
post #2

In SF a bus ride used to cost 2.25$, and I think it’s now 2.50$. Lyft line most of the time is 4$ + 1$ for an extra passenger. Uber is probably similar and perhaps cheaper, I don’t know. In short, there’s no benefit in using busses anymore.

> In short, there’s no benefit in using busses anymore. Except these rides are still heavily subsidized and are more expensive than the bus at this subsidized rate.

Buses are subsidized too.

Re: New Research on How Ride-Hailing Impacts Travel Behavior

#30
post #9

Link to the actual report: https://itspubs.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/themes/ucdavis/pubs/d... What it actually says: "Directionally, based on mode substitution and ride-hailing frequency of use data, we conclude that ride-hailing is currently _likely to_ contribute to growth in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the major cities represented in this study." (Emphasis mine)

Other than in mathematics (broadly interpreted), there is no definitive proof. There are just different degrees of confidence.

Even though Uber has been saying that they are improving urban transportation, I have always been skeptical. As new substitutes are introduced to mass transit - mass transit use should decline. If those new substitutes are heavily subsidized by VCs, mass transit will decline more.

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