Live data from Hacker News

New Research on How Ride-Hailing Impacts Travel Behavior

planetizen.com

41–50 of 458 posts

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

#41
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…

Both services are subsidizing their rides significantly, so while I think transit does need to work on improvements it’s important to remember that the comparison is currently unfair and will change when investors start looking for profits.

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

#42
post #3

Congestion pricing for use of city streets would quickly solve any problems due to increased use.

You're saying only the rich should be able to afford a comfortable, reliable, and convenient mode of transportation.

The real answer is to fix the horribly broken mass transit system across the nation. Only NYC and Chicago, maybe Boston and DC have a halfway decent system (and all four are horribly antiquated by any modern standard).

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

#43
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…

> expand routes, increase availability, update their equipment. ... and be faster . The SFMTA in San Francisco , at an average travel speed of 5 miles / hour. Is only slightly faster than brisk walking. Also, from the downtown FiDi out 2 miles in every direction, the Bus has a bus stop at Every block. Yes, every block.

Even biking works if you have bike racks on the bus and light rail. But most buses can only accommodate 1-3 bikes and light rail has no racks onboard at all.

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

#45
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…

> expand routes, increase availability, update their equipment. ... and be faster . The SFMTA in San Francisco , at an average travel speed of 5 miles / hour. Is only slightly faster than brisk walking. Also, from the downtown FiDi out 2 miles in every direction, the Bus has a bus stop at Every block. Yes, every block.

I've experienced that frustration first hand in SFO, and when I was at uni in Nottingham - it might not have actually been quicker but the constant stop/start was becoming so annoying that I got out and walked in the end just because it meant I was moving.

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

#46
post #28
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

Buses are indeed subsidized. But which routes? I bet that the most popular bus routes, the ones that are always packed to the gills, make money.

What buses are subsidizing are the unpopular bus routes, the ones whose goal is to increase mobility for those who would otherwise not have it, such as night routes or relatively infrequent peak-hour commuter routes. Those cost a lot to run, and ride-hailing has the luxury of not having to run those routes.

I think in the discussion about costs we forget that public transit is, first and foremost, a public service.

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

#47
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…

> expand routes, increase availability, update their equipment. ... and be faster . The SFMTA in San Francisco , at an average travel speed of 5 miles / hour. Is only slightly faster than brisk walking. Also, from the downtown FiDi out 2 miles in every direction, the Bus has a bus stop at Every block. Yes, every block.

coming into market st, and depending on which bus you take (islands or sidewalk exit) there is a huge gap on 2nd st if you are on a bus that exits onto the sidewalk. but yes 3rd and up has an exit every street

and same with heading out of market st, but i mean...the point of the buses is to pick up workers on market st so why wouldn't they try to stop on every street?

i think the issue is there are too many buses based on market st, thus causing tons of congestion. there needs to be more buses going through mission st. or further southeast in soma that eventually comes back up on van ness.

also most buses during rush hour for people getting off work by the time you get to 6th st the bus is entirely full and you can't get on. for that i'm not sure what the solution is other than having buses on that route start somewhere on 6th st rather than from the transit station or embarcadero..

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

#48
post #28
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

Not everywhere, though. My town (population just 3,000) in the UK has an hourly bus to Oxford and an almost-hourly bus to two medium-sized local towns. (Stagecoach S3 and Pulhams X9, for completeness.) None of these buses are subsidised, and this in an entirely rural area.

It's been proved that buses _can_ work without subsidy. It hasn't yet been proved that Uber and Lyft can.

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

#49
For my everyday commute in SV, Lyft made it possible for me to even use Caltrain.

I use Lyft to connect the last mile from/to work, but the bulk of the distance is covered by Caltrain.

This combo is the most optimal for me because i get to dodge 101 highway completely.

Also, VTA buses are close to useless to me, not only that they are frequently late, but they are too dirty/smelly/full of riff raff, don't take credit card/Apple Pay, etc.

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

#50
post #41
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…

Both services are subsidizing their rides significantly, so while I think transit does need to work on improvements it’s important to remember that the comparison is currently unfair and will change when investors start looking for profits.

You don't think the public transportation systems are subsidized?
Post reply on HN