Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

New Research on How Ride-Hailing Impacts Travel Behavior

planetizen.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

281–290 of 458 posts

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

#281

Post by Tiktaalik »

jessriedel wrote: post #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…

> dynamically adjustable bus/van routes

This is basically what exists in third world countries with private mini buses. As cities become more wealthy they always transition to fixed routes with higher capacity buses because it's well known that it is more efficient.

No amount of ~machine learning algorithms~ is going to make mini buses driving random places more efficient than high capacity buses on fixed routes.

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

#284

Post by z6 »

ecesena wrote: 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 SF you also get free transfers for 90 minutes which is a nice benefit. Lyft line / uber pool is closer to $6+ if you're going around the city, unless of course you only go 2 blocks.

If you're going somewhere for an appointment and can get back within 90 minutes it's $2.50 vs. over $12. The bus-only lanes are also beneficial if they exist on your route as traffic has gotten a lot worse, in part due to ridesharing. In addition to that, because traffic is horrible, line/pool rides take forever if you're going anywhere downtown during the day and the driver needs to pick up additional riders who aren't exactly along your route (even 1 block away can add 10 minutes). So if you are time-sensitive, you'll likely need a solo-ride which is more like $15+ one-way.

The big downside is obviously the poor experience with public transport... lots of homeless / crazy people taking free rides, dirty buses/trains, cramped spaces, too many stops, etc.

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

#285

Post by seanmcdirmid »

isostatic wrote: post #226
smsm42 wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's not only luggage. There are groceries. There are other purchases. There's just a strain of standing on your feet for an hour, which may not be easy for someone who is not in the peak physical condition.

Standing up for an hour does not require a "peak of physical fitness"!!! It's probably a good thing to do - that's why standing desks are so popular.

Standing while working on your terms vs. standing on a crowded bus or subway are totally different things. You aren't really burning calories standing either, it is just time spent in discomfort. I don't think someone who actually has to stand a hour a day on their commute would actually say this (and better to take a bike at that point).

Obviously, it is better if the subway car or bus is just totally packed so you can just lean on your neighbors (a unique advantage when living in china, I guess).

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

#286

Post by vultour »

kuschku wrote: post #265
smsm42 wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most likely reason is to avoid drivers being robbed - if there's no (easy and accessible for the driver) way to take money out of the thing, local addicts won't get an idea "let's jump on a bus and take money from the driver" because driver can't really give the money. Also a bit of avoiding fraud from driver's side - if the driver is allowed to take money out, it's impossible to control whether all the payments actu…

The European busses solved that ages ago. Driver presses the button for a special ticket, customer inserts coins or bills, the machine automatically gives exact change. Alternatively, pay with NFC, card, etc.

Or they have a small cash register and just give change back to dozens of people in the line, I've never seen a bus being noticably late because of it.

Honestly some of the things mentioned in here are mind bending. I have public transport experience from both London and a small country on the eastern side of Europe, and both were efficient, fast and safe. What the fuck is wrong with the US when people are scared to take public transport because they can get robbed?

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

#287

Post by yardie »

tigershark wrote: post #272
yardie wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm referring to the US as this is specifically a US problem. Our best system New York's MTA has frequent outages. While the trains are new the tracks and switches are decaying at an incredible rate. My current city, Miami, the city is looking at reducing mass transit service [0]. After already approving a 1-cent tax to expand service MDTA reneged and used the increase to pay for existing issues (fair enough, it need…

Am I misunderstanding something or are you really complaining about a 1 cent tax? I wish I could have any service paying as little as 1 cent over my current taxes. Hell, I'll happily pay 10£ even for a shitty service probably..

This is one cent (as in 1%) sales tax. And it is being applied to 1 city service, transit. If all other city services did this you can expect your taxes to be in the 30-50 percent range.

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

#288

Post by ryan_lane »

cozzyd wrote: post #144

One problem I've noticed is that Uber/Lyft drivers like to use bus stops to pick off or drop off passengers, which obviously slows down buses quite a bit. I wish buses had cameras that could be used to automatically fine those drivers...

The buses have cameras, and drivers get ticketed for it (at ~$250 per ticket). Drivers avoid pulling over in bus lanes unless they are really sure no bus is coming.

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

#289

Post by imranq »

WisNorCan wrote: post #30
otterley wrote: 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.

As an aside, even in mathematics some proofs can be turn out to be wrong. Like the many wrong proofs for Fermats last theorem even Wiles' original proof.

Basically there is some level of uncertainty , e>0 for any statement.

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

#290

Post by schrodinger »

benbristow wrote: post #200
ibejoeb wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That all seems like a net positive to me, especially in major urban areas that a very car dependent like Los Angles, Atlanta, Houston... In LA, driving drunk was just the way of life, and it was a real problem. Now, I don't know anyone who prefers driving over ridesharing given the option. Uber Pool makes getting from the east side to the west side faster that public transit for about $10-15, which is less than 1 dri…

$10-15 for a drink? Of liquid gold?

Don’t come to New York. It’s at least that for a cocktail or glass of wine.
Post reply on HN