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I'm very interested in the convergence of Lyft-Line/Uber-Pool service with bus service. It's easy to imagine Lyft and Uber running dynamically adjustable bus/v

I'm very interested in the convergence of Lyft-Line/Uber-Pool service with bus service. It's easy to imagine Lyft and Uber running dynamically adjustable bus/van routes -- basically jitneys/peseros that take advantage of smart phones -- that are faster, more reliable, and cheaper than city buses. (Vans are super cheap per passenger if they are always full.) Lyft has taken small steps in this direction by asking Line riders to get out a short walk from their destination when it would save the rest of the group a lot of time, but this strikes me as modest and poorly designed. (Instead of relying on altruism, why not offer a variable discount, $1-$5, determined by the amount of time saved so that the rider can easily judge whether it's worth it?) Have there been any news/developments on this recently?

inglor 9y ago
As the article mentions - this is what Via does https://ridewithvia.com/ https://ridewithvia.com/
- jessriedel 9y ago
  Via (and Chariot) have to be booked in advance, which is really different than bus/peseros service.
Eridrus 9y ago
I am too, but you need a lot of people going in the same direction. Lyft Line can already be pretty annoying when you need to drop some else off significantly off your path. I think we're going to see an explosion of vehicle miles when self driving cars take off, with the attendant congestion issues. I'm sort of expecting a big change in the sort of cities people want to live in when delivery and transportation gets cheaper and more convenient.
CraigRood 9y ago
This is not something I've ever thought about but does seem to solve a few concerns. Even in my small town, I can think of many frequently used routes and locations that would benefit from an 'Uber-Bus'.
true_tuna 9y ago
Chariot is doing a good job of bridging the gap between Lyft line and public buses. Providing an alternative to the overloaded, slow and unpleasant public transit in my area. They haven't added an on-demand offering, but I'd love to see it.
Tiktaalik 9y ago
> dynamically adjustable bus/van routes This is basically what exists in third world countries with private mini buses. As cities become more wealthy they always transition to fixed routes with higher capacity buses because it's well known that it is more efficient. No amount of ~machine learning algorithms~ is going to make mini buses driving random places more efficient than high capacity buses on fixed routes.

inglor 9y ago

As the article mentions - this is what Via does https://ridewithvia.com/ https://ridewithvia.com/

jessriedel 9y ago
Via (and Chariot) have to be booked in advance, which is really different than bus/peseros service.

Eridrus 9y ago

I am too, but you need a lot of people going in the same direction. Lyft Line can already be pretty annoying when you need to drop some else off significantly off your path. I think we're going to see an explosion of vehicle miles when self driving cars take off, with the attendant congestion issues. I'm sort of expecting a big change in the sort of cities people want to live in when delivery and transportation gets cheaper and more convenient.

CraigRood 9y ago

This is not something I've ever thought about but does seem to solve a few concerns. Even in my small town, I can think of many frequently used routes and locations that would benefit from an 'Uber-Bus'.

true_tuna 9y ago

Chariot is doing a good job of bridging the gap between Lyft line and public buses. Providing an alternative to the overloaded, slow and unpleasant public transit in my area. They haven't added an on-demand offering, but I'd love to see it.

Tiktaalik 9y ago

> dynamically adjustable bus/van routes This is basically what exists in third world countries with private mini buses. As cities become more wealthy they always transition to fixed routes with higher capacity buses because it's well known that it is more efficient. No amount of ~machine learning algorithms~ is going to make mini buses driving random places more efficient than high capacity buses on fixed routes.