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Perhaps there are situations where this is true, and I'd be open to studies on this, but my experience says otherwise. I know people who did not own a car and
by aero142 10y ago
Perhaps there are situations where this is true, and I'd be open to studies on this, but my experience says otherwise.
I know people who did not own a car and instead mostly used buses and/or bikes to get around Austin. They knew they always had a reliable Uber ride to fill in the gaps. Taxis adjust to demand terribly in Austin so they are not reliable or pleasant to use. So, now these people are using cars more often because they don't have a reliable way to fill in the gaps.
2) Uber reduces the need for parking which means more parking lots and garages, which pushes business further away from each other, making walking between places more difficult. As far as I know, increasing density is a reliable way of reducing traffic because it makes alternatives more attractive.
3) I would love to see more buses and trains in Austin. Unfortunately, Austin has failed to pass much on that front largely due to incompetence in government all over the place. If I had my way, we would be investing heavily in buses, trains, walkways, all of it. Uber is a great way to fill in gaps between these. I see the fingerprinting battle as a giant distraction from real traffic problems.
- toomuchtodo 10y ago> I would love to see more buses and trains in Austin. Unfortunately, Austin has failed to pass much on that front largely due to incompetence in government all over the place. If I had my way, we would be investing heavily in buses, trains, walkways, all of it. Uber is a great way to fill in gaps between these. I see the fingerprinting battle as a giant distraction from real traffic problems. Looks like its time to get involved in your local government! Have you considered campaigning and running for the next city council seat that goes to election?
- aero142 10y agoI definitely plan to be more involved in future elections. That doesn't change my opinion that Austin is headed towards being a rather dysfunctional large city instead of the unique interesting medium sized city I've lived in for years. I'm not saying there isn't democracy or that there is some great injustice going on. I'm just mostly sad that a nice place to live is being slowly replaced by a poorly run place and it doesn't seem to be able to solve it's own problems. This Uber/Lyft deal is just one small example of moving in the wrong direction and fighting the wrong fights.
- toomuchtodo 10y agoConsider that Austin citizens who have been there longer than tech workers might have thought they had a nice place that is turning into a poorly run place due to the tech scene influence. Not an insult, just a consideration. Something to consider for anyone who decides to move to a new locale.
- subway 10y agoYes yes, we all hate the outsiders and the terrible ideas they bring. We must protect ourselves from them!
- toomuchtodo 10y agoI didn't say that, I said consider an idea. Some people like the way things are where they live, and if those people make up the majority, you're SOL. That's democracy.