How Taxis Augment Public Transit

Urban Planning Professor David King has found that rather than working in competition, taxi cabs actually augment public transit networks.

1 minute read

February 5, 2012, 5:00 AM PST

By George Haugh


When comparing taxi trips from the morning and evening, King finds a geographical asymmetry indicating that commuters are using taxis for just one leg of their daily commute, and in this case it is usually the morning.

King has spent a lot of time advocating his synergistic theory and thinking about the subject. Alongside colleagues Matthew Daus and Jonathan Peters of CUNY, he presented a paper on the complimentary nature of cabs at a meeting of the Transportation Research Board. In it, they argue that "taxi service is a critical aspect of the transit system."

Friday, February 3, 2012 in The Atlantic Cities

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

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