Category Transportation

Over at FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver and Rueben Fischer-Baum claim mass transit is Uber’s best friend.  They use data from New York to show that Uber is most frequently used in areas with effective mass transit. They explain that residents in areas with poor access to mass transit are more likely to assume the fixed cost of car ownership. Once that overhead has been assumed, these residents are more likely to use the personal vehicle they’re already paying for rather than rely on alternative modes of transportation. There’s variation in use depending on the intersection of income level and transit accessibility, but that the big takeaway is that mass transit supports Uber. And that Uber as well as other TNCs will be most successful where effective mass transit is already in place. It’s a great analysis. And it’s partially right–but not entirely.   Mass transit does support TNC growth just as the authors describe. But TNCs, in turn, support mass transit by solving the last mile problem. The two systems are complementary. But without a supportive urban environment, neither system stands any chance of success. Mass transit and TNCs may be allies, but both rely on urban density as their benefactor. Residents in densely developed cities with mixed land use consume less transportation per capita because the distances between work, housing, and recreation are all much shorter. And below a certain level of consumption, the minimum fixed cost of car ownership ceases to make sense. Alternative forms of transportation like a mass transit system or a TNC platform entail only marginal cost, so they begin to look more attractive. Imagine putting a mass transit system–commuter rail, BRT, whatever you’d like–in the middle of Houston or LA style sprawl. It might be a net positive for a TNC, but in no way […]

On Tuesday, DC’s city council passed a tax reform package that will cut funding for future streetcar construction. These cuts come as the H Street streetcar delays continue to mount, and much of the commentary supporting the streetcar has shifted from touting its transportation benefits to its economic development role. As Stephen has explained, the benefits of streetcar over bus depend heavily on streetcars having dedicated lanes, which most of DC’s streetcars wouldn’t have. Earlier this spring, I was in a bike accident that cemented my opposition to DC’s streetcar. Because the streetcar tracks cover the right two-thirds of H Street’s right-hand lanes, bicyclists typically ride between the two tracks. This creates a situation in which the sudden need to swerve or a brief loss of concentration puts cyclists at a risk of catching their front tire in the track, causing an over-the-handlebars accident when the front wheel comes to a sudden stop. In Toronto, streetcar tracks are a factor in nearly one-third of serious bicycle accidents. While I can say I’ll now go to great lengths to avoid riding on H Street, DC’s lack of good east-west bike routes make it unrealistic to expect all cyclists to avoid the streetcar tracks. Avoiding tracks will be much more difficult for cyclists under DDOT’s plan to eventually construct 22 miles of tracks. Aside from creating a hazard for cyclists, this streetcar will only provide effective transportation for people visiting H Street retail destinations from the adjacent residential neighborhoods. It does not connect residential neighborhoods to job centers. While some have argued that it’s designed to serve tourists rather than District residents, the streetcar line doesn’t pass by any sightseeing, I don’t think that H Street’s retail is a common destination for tourists. Passengers using the streetcar to travel east from Union Station have to navigate a large parking garage to board the […]