Cities across the country are embracing a new ride-sharing public transit merger, and it’s saving them fat stacks of cash for their trouble.
By shortening current public transit routes and replacing the missing chunks with subsidized car rides, city governments are cutting costs and increasing transit efficiency. Although city governments and the ride-sharing contingents haven’t been the best of friends, the development provides hope for a reset in the contentious relationship.
From Bloomberg:
It quickly became apparent that in areas with few riders, paying for part of a private ride was cheaper than running a bus. The program will cost $40,000 a year, or about a quarter the cost of the two bus lines it replaced, according to the PSTA. The PSTA declined to give statistics about its ridership, other than to describe it as a success. On Aug. 1, the agency began offering subsidies for all rides in the county that end at about 20 designated transit stops. “It’s not supposed to be something you’d take instead of the bus; it’s supposed to be something you’d take to the bus,” said Ashlie Handy, a spokeswoman for the agency.
Think of it this way: If the last three bus stops are out in the middle of bumfuck and hardly anyone even goes that far, it’s way more economical to chop off that part of the line in exchange for car services.
In fact, by directing ride-sharing traffic to specific bus and rail stops, both private and public transit benefit. The Ubers and Lyfts continue to operate and public transit authorities don’t have to worry about decreased ridership.
Maybe someday we’ll be introduced to the Uber Bus, but for now this presents a viable partnership between public agencies and the disruptive sharing economy.
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