It seems like whenever Uber and Lyft are in the news nowadays, it’s for all the wrong reasons. What do all of the current and upcoming regulations say about the state of rideshare? In this episode, I’m speaking with an expert transportation consultation about the current state of the rideshare industry about changing trends, regulation and more.
If you’d like to read a transcript of this podcast, please click here.
Intro
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Today I’m talking with Bruce Schaller of Schaller Consulting, an NY-based consulting firm that specializes in urban transportation policy
- In addition to focusing on urban transit, he’s also involved with trends among cities and the relationships between rideshare, micromobility and more
Intro to Bruce Schaller
- Bruce Schaller is a consultant based in NYC
- Author of recent reports on ride services including traffic and transit
- Worked on taxi issues in the late 1990s and early 2000s
- Began looking into Uber and Lyft in 2014
State of Rideshare Industry Today
- A big question mark!
- Innovation of Uber and Lyft is having part-time workers available on flexible schedules
- Needs to be a sweet spot when it comes to flexibility and earnings
- Overall, NYC doing a good job in trying to regulate, increase driver earnings
Are Uber and Lyft Adding to Traffic Congestion?
- Personal cars are the bulk of traffic, not Uber/Lyft
- However, Uber and Lyft do add to traffic congestion
- Goal is to increase utilization rate, making sure someone is in the car a majority of the time
Political Landscape of Rideshare
- There will absolutely be more regulation – potentially Washington state, Oregon
- Cities and states looking to regulate rideshare companies will need to focus on utilization rate
Outro
- Thanks to Bruce for coming on and sharing what he knows about the public side of the transportation business
- If you’re interested in learning more, highly recommend you check out his reports on his consulting site – they’re free!
- For me, it’s all about finding a balance – what are the benefits of taxis? Of rideshare? How can we combine the best of both?
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Show Notes
- Uber Drivers Just Want to Be Free (New York Times)
- EMPTY SEATS, FULL STREETS: Fixing Manhattan’s Traffic Problem
- Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age (Brad Smith’s Book)
- SchallerConsult.com
- @Bruce_Schaller on Twitter
If you’d like to read a transcript of this podcast, please click here.
