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I don't think the study is "faulting" anyone. Clearly ridesharing is a very popular and convenient alternative to driving and public transit which are both rife

I don't think the study is "faulting" anyone. Clearly ridesharing is a very popular and convenient alternative to driving and public transit which are both rife with problems. It is however contributing to traffic and emissions. Those are important facts to establish because previously it was thought that maybe ridesharing is helping with those too, like a dream come true. It concludes, "substantial policy action may be required to ensure that ride-hailing can effectively be woven into the transportation network while reducing congestion and the emissions of transportation services. Absent of these efforts, congestion and emissions appear likely to grow."[1] [1] https://itspubs.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/themes/ucdavis/pubs/download_pdf.php?id=2752 https://itspubs.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/themes/ucdavis/pubs/d...

TrinaryWorksToo 9y ago
If we want ridesharing to decrease emissions and traffic, someone should subsidize it as first and last mile transit. That way cars are always at capacity (always picking up or dropping off users) and traffic gets reduced on highways (people will be on transit). In addition public transit will fill to capacity, allowing them to run more often.
- abalone 9y ago
  At best that would only help with relatively long distance trips, and the study notes it has already led to and increase in commuter rail use. (Which is offset by greater VMT in other cases.) Also it probably still involves deadhead trips within those last miles.
  - TrinaryWorksToo 9y ago
    I'm wondering if there's lots of deadhead trips with existing commuter rail use in existing data. I was guessing that because people typically live close together who go to the same bus stop there would be less deadhead, if people carpooled, as the people who got on the ride would get dropped off at the same time people get picked up.
- nine_k 9y ago
  This looks sort of backwards. If we want to limit car use, we should increase the price of it. Many city centers do so.

TrinaryWorksToo 9y ago

If we want ridesharing to decrease emissions and traffic, someone should subsidize it as first and last mile transit. That way cars are always at capacity (always picking up or dropping off users) and traffic gets reduced on highways (people will be on transit). In addition public transit will fill to capacity, allowing them to run more often.

abalone 9y ago
At best that would only help with relatively long distance trips, and the study notes it has already led to and increase in commuter rail use. (Which is offset by greater VMT in other cases.) Also it probably still involves deadhead trips within those last miles.
- TrinaryWorksToo 9y ago
  I'm wondering if there's lots of deadhead trips with existing commuter rail use in existing data. I was guessing that because people typically live close together who go to the same bus stop there would be less deadhead, if people carpooled, as the people who got on the ride would get dropped off at the same time people get picked up.
nine_k 9y ago
This looks sort of backwards. If we want to limit car use, we should increase the price of it. Many city centers do so.