Reading Multiple choice 1

Uber and Lyft Are Making Traffic Worse

For years, the link between increased ride-sharing and reduced congestion seemed obvious: cheap, immediate, and abundant taxi rides would encourage city residents to give up their cars. Services like Uber Pool and Lyft’s Shared Rides, which pick up extra passengers along the way, were expected to act like citywide carpooling systems, combining riders and supporting public transportation.

However, in recent years, as ride-sharing has expanded across dozens of cities and billions of rides, nearly all of these assumptions have turned out to be wrong—or at least wildly optimistic.

1. More Cars on the Road

Ride-sharing hasn’t reduced the number of cars on the roads. As taxi rides have become cheaper, their popularity has surged. San Francisco, for example, now has over 20 times more ride-sharing vehicles than traditional taxis. In New York, registered “transportation network company” vehicles outnumber yellow cabs six to one. While some people have sold their cars in favor of ride-sharing, others have actually bought cars specifically to drive for Uber and Lyft.

2. More Miles Traveled

Replacing solo drivers with ride-shares hasn’t reduced the total number of miles driven in cities. “Switching from your own car to an Uber actually adds miles because the car has to come to pick you up,” explained transportation expert Bruce Schaller.

Public transit consultant Jarrett Walker added, “It would be great if Uber and Lyft carried small groups of people, but in reality, they usually only carry solo riders.” Drivers must first get to their first passenger, and may then take significant detours to pick up additional riders—if they pick up anyone else at all. According to internal company data obtained by BuzzFeed, 40% of Uber Pool trips in San Francisco in 2015 ended up carrying just one passenger. At the time, Uber was also heavily subsidizing fares to boost popularity.

3. Taking Riders Away from Public Transport

Instead of complementing more efficient transport options, Uber and Lyft are actually pulling riders away from them. Two studies found that most Uber and Lyft users would have walked, biked, or taken public transit if ride-sharing hadn’t been available. In one study, a University of Colorado researcher who became an Uber driver surveyed his passengers and found that only about one in five were replacing a solo car trip.

“When people say they’re replacing personal auto trips with Uber or Lyft, they’re often talking about rides to the airport, going out drinking, or avoiding renting a car while traveling,” said Schaller. “These are usually trips that would have otherwise used public transport.”

Because ride-share users tend to be wealthier than average, these services may be pulling higher-income riders away from buses and trains entirely—potentially creating a two-tier transit system. Over time, this shift could weaken public support and funding for more efficient, accessible transportation systems.