Uber, Lyft, Via, and other services are changing the landscape of transportation by providing cheaper, easier access to a ride than ever before. They're also working to encourage people to share rides.
This is also creating new demand on curbside space, as many of these vehicles block travel lanes or bike lanes when pulling over to load and unload. In some neighborhoods, it's helpful to designate new drop-off and pick-up zones to serve people who want to share rides.
From the Blog
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Whose curb is it, anyway?
Nine curbside locations around the District will be available to reserve for commercial deliveries starting August 1, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) recently announced. The three-month pilot gives a company called curbFlow authority to manage the zones.
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Here’s what DCST thinks about DC’s top transportation priorities
For the last two years, Greater Greater Washington has managed DC Sustainable Transportation, a coalition of business, advocacy, and government entities who work together on shared priorities for transportation. At the DC Council's recent transportation oversight hearing, David Alpert had an opportunity to outline key transportation priorities.
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With Ubers, Amazon deliveries, taxis, and more, “PUDO zones” rebalance how we use our curbs
Cities are constantly responding to new technology and residents' evolving needs, and the curb is one place where big changes are happening. As ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft have expanded in the past few years, drivers frequently resort to stopping on the street and in bicycle lanes to pick up and drop off passengers.
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To make ride-hailing work for urbanism, here’s what needs to happen
Ride-hailing services like Uber, Lyft, and Via have grown meteorically since launching just a few years ago. Meanwhile, transit ridership nationwide is declining, and some studies posit a direct connection. As a result, many transit supporters have sharply criticized these services. Some fears are warranted, but ride-hailing is also offering people a valuable transportation service.
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DC may require ride-hailing companies to share data, but won’t encourage pooling
Cities have required taxis to give logs of their rides to regulators for a long time. New York, Toronto, Chicago, Seattle, and others ask for taxi-like data from ride-hailing companies such as Uber, Lyft, and Via. Now, DC might join them. However, it won't follow through on an earlier proposal to encourage carpooling on these ride-hailing services.
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To cut down on traffic, DC may encourage sharing Ubers, Lyfts, and Vias
Ride-hailing services like Uber, Lyft, and Via are growing rapidly. They are actually two kinds of service: private cars and shared, with shared cars much better for traffic, sustainability, and roadway efficiency. Now, the DC Council has taken a positive step to encourage sharing, relative to riding alone, in the tax code.