Especially for parties with more than one passenger, summoning a car can make more sense, according to a recent op-ed. Transit still wins out for longer trips, but streetcars might just not be worth it downtown.

Visiting Atlanta with his wife, Kyle Wingfield preferred rideshare over the MARTA streetcar system. He explains, "Our MARTA fares would be $5; the expected charge for Uber-X was $6. We'd be picked up and dropped off where we stood, rather than walking a few blocks away and taking a couple of staircases. We'd get air-conditioning, not the still air of an underground station. It was a no-brainer."
Wingfield emphasizes that he is not anti-transit. But when the cost benefit analysis doesn't add up, short-distance transit loses its allure. "As we rode, I wondered how MARTA could adjust its business model to keep choice riders like ourselves — maybe by charging less for such short trips. But I gradually recognized the real threat ride-sharing services pose to public transportation as a 'last mile' option."
Rideshare subsidies for low-income commuters could potentially offset the cost off summoning a car. "The ride-sharing approach would offer broader coverage and more flexibility than we will ever build out with streetcars. It is even better for low-income riders: Imagine the number of ride-sharing trips that could be subsidized for the money it would take to build, operate and maintain a decent network of streetcars."
FULL STORY: A 21st-century alternative to streetcars

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