Ride-hailing companies have yet to deliver on many of the transportation system improvements that they, and their supporters, have been promising. Streetsblog USA provides a scathing critique of the consequences of widespread ride-hailing.
Angie Schmitt follows a recent "raft" of studies finding negative effects from the widespread adoption of ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft—the most recent being the news that UCLA students are hailing rides 11,000 times a week just to get around campus.
"It’s becoming more and more clear that Uber and Lyft having some pretty pernicious effects on public health and the environment, especially in some of the country’s largest cities," according to Schmitt.
To better keep track of the kinds of bad news that have been made public regarding ride-hailing companies in recent months, Schmitt offers the following list, with a lot more detail included in the source article:
- They increase driving, a lot.
- They are inefficient (lots of "deadheading" or driving time with no passengers).
- They operate in largest numbers in transit-rich cities and neighborhoods.
- They replace alternative transportation (e.g., walking, biking, transit).
- They hurt transit ridership.
- They reduce political support for public transit.
- They increase traffic fatalities.
- They hoard data.
FULL STORY: All the Bad Things About Uber and Lyft In One Simple List
Report: Ride-Hailing Drastically Increases Vehicle Miles Traveled
New research published in Transport Policy finds that ride-hailing companies increase vehicle miles traveled of users by 97 percent in Chicago, 114 percent in New York City, and 118 percent in San Francisco.
Study: Uber and Lyft Have Been Catastrophic for Public Transit Ridership
The most damning evidence yet of how ride hailing is making urban transportation less efficient, not more.
Ride-Hailing Prices Skyrocket as the U.S. Emerges From the Pandemic
A shortage of drivers and spiking demand are driving Uber and Lyft prices higher than ever as the companies struggle to achieve profitability.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps
New microtransit vans in Albuquerque aim to close food access gaps by linking low-income areas to grocery stores, cutting travel times by 30 percent and offering planners a scalable model for equity-focused transit.
This City Will Pay You to Meet Your Neighbors
A North Kansas City grant program offers up to $400 for residents to throw neighborhood block parties.
Commentary: Our Silence Will Not Protect Us
Keeping our heads down and our language inoffensive is not the right response to the times we’re in. Solidarity and courage is.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)