Private Transit
Bubba
11 Oct
Is Uber trying to reinvent the bus? (WSJ)
The latest: The ride-sharing company announced it was launching a new shuttle service offering rides from Manhattan to LaGuardia Airport for $18, with passengers sharing a 14-seat van and departing from three specific Manhattan locations.
On social media, critics quipped that Uber had “invented a bus.”
New York City transit blogger Ben Kabak:
NYC Transit effectively ceding airport transit to Uber is bad actually. While I do think we spend way too much time talking about airport transit, there's nothing but politics stopping the [Metro Transit Authority] from doing this themselves.
The trend: Even before the pandemic public transportation in the U.S. had been struggling, with ridership dipping 7.5% between 2014 and 2018.
Transit ridership absolutely cratered from 2019 to 2023, dropping 27%.
Not to mention, many of the country’s largest transit systems are facing severe budgetary, safety and infrastructure crises.
Bubba’s Two Cents
The feeling that public transit has gotten more dysfunctional seems to be growing with riders in many cities complaining of delays, safety and fare evaders. The system is in trouble despite being heavily subsidized by taxpayers. Is it possible Uber sees an opportunity for the private sector to show it can do a better job?