Our research was technically right, but we had not taken into account changes in human behavior. Cars are more convenient and comfortable than walking, buses and subways — and that is why they are so popular. Make them even cheaper through ride-sharing and people are coaxed away from those other forms of transit.

This dynamic became clear in the data a few years later: On average, ride-hailing trips generated far more traffic and 69% more carbon dioxide than the trips they displaced.

We were proud of our contribution to ride-sharing but dismayed to see the results of a 2018 study that found that Uber Pool was so cheap it increased overall city travel: For every mile of personal driving it removed, it added 2.6 miles of people who otherwise would have taken another mode of transportation.

  • Kuinox@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Where I live, Uber solved the getting home drunk problem.
    Public transport isn’t open at night.

    • RageAgainstTheSurge@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Public transit has been lacking in my city even before the pandemic. They are still paying off for a light rail system from a decade ago that they are not maintaining. Also all the ticket machines smell like piss, which should not be a surprised considering for years there’s been some guy who has been urinating at almost all the station.