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With Uber and other ridesharing services becoming a common transit option for some D.C. residents, we wanted to get a sense of when someone might substitute an Uber trip for a Metrorail trip. To do this, we plotted data on travel time and cost, creating a visualization that shows whether Uber or Metro is faster, and at what cost, for 114 different trips between Metro stations. By adding in the time it takes to wait for a Metro train or Uber, walk to the Metro, or sit on a delayed train, we can see how a person's decision might change depending on their circumstances.
The trips we analyzed include trips between the city and the suburbs as well as trips within the city.
[...] We found that for longer trips between the center of the city and the suburbs, Metro tends to be both more cost-effective and quicker than Uber. But for trips within the city that require a Metro transfer, Uber is often quicker than Metro, especially when Metro wait times are long, like on weekends, or when there are delays. While Uber's regular service tends to be much more expensive than Metro, Uber Pool makes some Uber trips nearly as affordable as Metro.
Did they factor in the need for a pack train, 3 days' provisions, and sherpas to get up and down the stairs in the Metro?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by zocalo on Wednesday October 18 2017, @06:51AM (5 children)
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 18 2017, @07:44AM
The only innovations [...] were enabling that pre-booking [...] using an App
Well, there have been a whole bunch of folks who think that they should be granted a patent for adding "with a computer" or "via the internet" to an old notion.
GP's "ride hailing" callout (a term that I would have added to the (meta)thread if he hadn't already) indicates that added dimension to the old thing.
There's also being able to track how far away your ride is more precisely than with the old pay phone/traditional cab method.
.
...and TFS contains the term Uber Pool, which I haven't encounterted before.
That seems to have a "going my way?" element to it.
So, in that case, we're circling back to "sharing", in a manner of speaking.
"ride sharing" [...] a typical Uber attempt to obfuscate
You won't find me arguing with that.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Wednesday October 18 2017, @10:21AM (1 child)
Total aside: why is the above a thing? Why did governments feel the need to take one market segment (driving people here they want to go for money), and split it into two completely artificial parts?
> The only innovations ... using an App instead of having to phone up
Using a phone rather than a phone??!?!? I guess that's why they're worth billions (of techboom virtual money).
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by zocalo on Wednesday October 18 2017, @12:06PM
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Wednesday October 18 2017, @01:50PM
Both are huge innovations, let us note. And that is reflected in the swarm of customers who use the service.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Wednesday October 18 2017, @02:30PM
"ride sharing" was only ever a typical Uber attempt to obfuscate what they were doing to avoid regulation
Part true, part not.
First, there are people who drive for Uber/Lyft who really do have another primary job, and do this on the side to make a few extra dollars, particularly if they have a long commute. But granted, they're not the majority of drivers.
Secondly, both Uber and Lyft now have true "ride sharing" services that are pretty popular: Uber Pool and Lyft Line. But it's not the driver who's sharing a ride, it's the passengers: different passengers who don't know each other get to share a ride together. These services are cheaper than regular Uber/Lyft, but may take longer because your car can get routed away to pick up or drop off another passenger, but it's much cheaper if you're not in a hurry. Why didn't the cab companies ever think of this first?