Occasionally the best things in life are free and so it is with ride-hailing. Uber Pool and Lyft Line are ushering in a major change in transportation which, among other desirable outcomes, will be a game changer for public transportation. Users are right now, today enjoying reduced time, cost and stress with increased productivity. A UC Berkley study found that for every one ride hailing vehicle on the road there are between 9 and 13 fewer cars. Best of all this costs government nothing. So, my idea is that our county and city governments should encourage these services with enabling legislation as well as consider startup subsidies if necessary and a campaign to acquaint residents with the benefits. I’ve never been a fan of mass transportation projects. they’re capital intensive and you don’t know if they’re worthwhile until the money is spent and you can count the riders. Uber and Lyft ride sharing is free AND users -reduce greenhouse emission -save money -can go from two to one car family -improve the commuting experience by reading or doing work instead of driving -reduce traffic
