Uber and Lyft Make 11,000 Trips a Week Without Leaving UCLA's Campus

Students at the University of California, Los Angeles are using ride-hailing companies to get between classes on campuses. The effect is far from the congestion and emissions reducing idea many hoped for from companies like Uber and Lyft.

1 minute read

February 4, 2019, 9:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Westwood, Los Angeles

Wilshire Boulevard where it cuts through the Westwood neighborhood in Los Angeles, near the campus for UCLA. | Michael Gordon / Shutterstock

"UCLA students call about 11,000 Uber and Lyft rides that never leave campus every week," reports Manya Kidambi. The trip choice of the students "[raise] concerns about the environmental impact of unnecessary trips."

UCLA Transportation gathered the data to produce the startling findings. Yifang Zhu, associate director of the Center for Clean Air and a professor on campus, is quoted in the article saying that these short trips produce a large amount of carbon emissions.

CJ Macklin, a Lyft spokesperson, is also quoted in the article, saying the company offsets carbon emissions generated by trips with the company. Still, emissions result from drivers waiting to pick up riders or circling while waiting for a new trip.

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