In my News Roundup posts, I give a summary of five news stories on the topics I research and teach.
First on amNY| Uber starts dispatching yellow taxis to some NYC Customers through app – I think Uber is becoming a taxi or a taxi dispatch! Essentially, what it really is. The company has a new partnership with yellow taxi where when a customer hails a ride, they could get a yellow taxi if a taxi was closer to the customer than a vehicle on the Uber app. Customers can decline if they choose not to ride in a taxi, but why would they? According to Uber, there may come a time when it might be cheaper to ride in a taxi in NYC when the city puts in place congestion pricing program for some sections in Manhattan. Taxis might be exempt from congestion but perhaps not hailed rides. Here is the interesting thing: drivers of those yellow taxi rides will be paid less than a taxi fare. Why? 1. Uber takes a fee from each ride and 2. taxis cost more than vehicles on the Uber app. Bottom line? Yellow taxi drivers do not have a great incentive to take these Uber-hailed rides. I think it is so interesting to even contemplate a yellow taxi ride hailed through Uber! The taxi industry and ride-hailing companies are or at least were archenemies.
MTA celebrates accelerated pace of completion of accessibility projects across NYC subway system – In 2023, NYC transit agency built four accessible subway stations. The agency has increased the rate at which it procures accessible projects by five times compared to its practices prior to 2020. It is building more accessible stations and upgrading to others to comply with ADA requirements. I think this is great news!
Texas town ditches its bus service for ride-sharing app Via – The city is Arlington, Texas. And its mayor sees transit buses and trains are “passé”. Apparently, the city does not have them. For the last four years, it has been running a fleet of charter buses. Now, Via, the app-based ride sharing company will take its place, and will cost the city much cheaper according to the mayor. In addition, Via will provide the city with the data it collects running the rides. No bus chartering company can match that! Via rides are cheap; a weekly pass costs $10 and a ride costs $3 but only available in downtown Arlington. My question is, since Via rides can only be requested through its app, how do people without phone get around in Arlington? Well, the article does not say.
TS: Houston Metro working on solar-powered fans at bus stops, with plans to install 50 prototypes – this story is infinitely interesting to me. I know from my work on heat waves and travel the importance of convenience at transit stops and stations. This news article is about how the transit authority in Houston is working on designing bus shelters that have fans to circulate the air and provide some relief to riders from the heat that can be deadly. This is for bus stops that do not have any shades in their vicinity. The idea is to power these fans using solar power (There is so much sun to be used in Houston!).
Transit [electric] bus makers struggling despite federal funding support – Electric bus manufacturing companies are receiving more orders than they can produce and some are experiencing financial challenges including filing for bankruptcy. This quote in the article gives an indication as to why that might be happening “Bus makers aren’t alone in their struggle to navigate the shifting market, Murray said: “It has been a learning process for regulators, transit authorities, local municipalities, the power guys and the manufacturers.'”
Mahtot [Mah-tote] Gebresselassie, PhD 