Will Lyft and Uber's Shared-Ride Service Hurt Public Transit?

An anonymous reader writes Lyft and Uber have already undercut the price of a taxi in most markets, but with this new service, both are now taking aim at public transit systems. By attempting to offer a viable alternative to the bus and metro, Lyft and Uber are offering new options to consumers in a space where few existed before. As Timothy Lee writes at Vox, "Until recently, there weren't many services in this 'in between' category. If you were going to the airport, you could get a shared-ride van. And some urban areas had dollar vans. But these were limited services in niche markets." If you're traveling with multiple people over short distances, Lyft Line and UberPool can be quite affordable, but it's still not cheap enough.

Comments

Re:It's only worth it

[mister_playboy]

I have read that half of the USA's total daily public transportation ridership is found in a single city... New York City

This one factoid portrays our public transport situation very well...

Re:It's only worth it

[Slashdot Parent]

I don't know anyone who takes public transportation if they don't have to.

It really depends on the individual situation.

For me, I live near a suburban train station and my office is near a downtown station on the same line. My commute is about 5 minutes shorter if I drive, but traffic can be frustrating in the city. On the train, I can relax and read and let someone else do the driving. So while I can perfectly well afford to commute by car, I typically take the train because it's less stressful.

If I truly had to spend 3 hours on a smelly bus, then you'd be right, there is no way in hell that I would tolerate that shit at my age. All I'm saying is that if the public transport option is reasonably pleasant, people will use it even if they can afford to drive.