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>> .. when people use a ride-hailing company, they are opting to do so rather than take public transportation, walk or bike. They generally are not choosing bet
by NickBusey 8y ago
>> .. when people use a ride-hailing company, they are opting to do so rather than take public transportation, walk or bike. They generally are not choosing between hailing and driving themselves.
This doesn't seem correct to me. If I can ride my bike or walk somewhere, I will do that pretty much every time. The only time I ever consider an Uber or Lyft is if the distance is too far to bike, and I would rather not drive for whatever reason. I know this is just one anecdote, but that seems like quite a bold claim from the article, and a claim that doesn't match up at all with the reality of how I and others I know use the services.
- criddell 8y agoBiking or walking is a great solution when you live someplace with decent weather. I'm in Central Texas and unless your office has showers (mine does), there's no way you can walk or bike to work for half the year.
- eli 8y agoYou left out "public transportation." There is very strong anecdotal evidence that here in DC a large number of people take Uber where they used to take Metro.
- manigandham 8y agoMany places, like in California, do not have good public transportation and Uber is the only decent option. That statement in the article is definitely a heavy assumption.
- komali2 8y agoThe counter argument is that you no longer feel pressure to kick the issue to your congressperson to push for public transit, because a "good enough" solution has been presented (a solution that isn't as good for the environment or city than a bus).
- manigandham 8y agoMaybe, but perhaps the politicians should automatically look out and plan for the public good instead of needing a line-by-line spec sheet for their job.
- komali2 8y agoNow this is a form of optimism I can get behind :)
- egonschiele 8y agoDo you have a diverse set of friends? I think there's a set of folks who take public transit but don't walk or bike (either physically disabled or too afraid). Either the article is wrong, or this is a good time to fix your assumptions.
- Loughla 8y agoAll you're doing is confounding anecdotal data with actual data because it feels good. If you chase this back to the working paper, they received 4,094 completed responses from 5 major urban/suburban areas. Those are valid numbers.
- pyrophane 8y agoI know people like you, but I also know people who are very much not like you. The latter sort are kind of lazy, at least when it comes to getting around, and they will frequently opt for whatever means of conveyance involves the least effort on their part.
- ghaff 8y agoI'm with you. I travel a great deal and, scheduled car to and from my airport aside, I don't take taxis/Ubers all that often. I take public transportation and walk a fair bit unless I have some compelling reason to get a taxi/Uber. (And sometimes I rent when I'm covering bigger distances.) But I'd say that most folks I work with have a reflex to get an Uber when they're going any distance at all.
- stcredzero 8y agoOften ride-hailing has to do with whether it will be too much of a pain to park. That's the 1st question my wife and I ask ourselves when it comes to most uses of Uber.
- nine_k 8y agoI strongly prefer public transport where it's available, and when convenient. Sometimes I need to go across the usual lines of the subway / bus traffic, and any reasonable route would have 2 transfers and be circuitous. Or maybe I'm carrying a couple of heavy bags from an airport. In cases like these I'd hail a car. Such cases are not frequent, but being able to hail a car at such moments is very convenient.
- fipple 8y agoHere’s a counterpart: I will take whatever transport form requires the least amount of walking and is most comfortable. I don’t usually care what it costs, within reason.