When it comes to ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft, too often our policymakers and the media highlight conflict: fights with existing cab companies, battles over regulation and deregulation, disruption between ridesharing companies and drivers, and safety and privacy issues for consumers.
The immense opportunity that ridesharing, as a technology for transportation, provides for cities both in terms of added mobility and new employment, however, gets short shrift in these conversations. In cities that allow ridesharing, getting around town has become significantly easier (and in some cases cheaper). Plus, ridesharing has provided hundreds (if not thousands) of new jobs in these cities, all by making better use of the resource most Americans already own: a personal vehicle.
On June 18, I’ll detail the current impact of ridesharing companies on urban transportation, their future potential, and some of the roadblocks preventing Missourians, and Saint Louisans in particular, from taking advantage. Come for the talk, stay for the BBQ:
