SFCTA Report Cites Uber/Lyft As Leading Cause of Traffic Increase

By Raphael Gindrat, CEO of Bestmile

The report determined that if ride-hailing services were not introduced, that congestion would only have increased 22 percent between 2010 and 2016, as opposed to the witnessed 62 percent increase. A similar study of traffic in New York City found that from 2013–2017, a 15 percent increase in ride hailing trips led to a 59 percent increase in the number of vehicles on the streets.

When they debuted, these services were seen as a potential solution to street congestion, however they are now considered a key contributing factor to it. As a result, cities are reconsidering their approaches to ride hailing and looking at solutions to better manage services with improved vehicle utilization, demand response and service area requirements — without such considerations, new mobility services may never reach their full potential.

San Francisco specifically is imposing a tax on ride-hailed trips, and city-wide strategies for mobility management are up for discussion.

Originally published at fleetnewsdaily.com on October 31, 2018.