Loading Zones

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tysmith95

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I've been driving for Uber/Lyft on the weekends to make extra money. One thing I noticed was that this area has an extreme lack of loading zones (outside of downtown). Cambridge and Somerville are the worst. The cities should get rid of some metered parking and add some 5 or 10 min max loading zones. With the popularity of ride-sharing apps it should be a priority so that ride-share drivers aren't forced to block traffic or bike lanes.

Also just an observation if you use ride-sharing apps, BE READY IF YOU CALL AN UBER/LYFT. Making the driver wait contributes to double parking and wastes their time. Also don't call an Uber/Lyft on Huntington Ave.
 
Loading zones become free parking zones. Current policy is between 10 and 30 minutes. No one needs to stay with the vehicle so people just park and go about their business knowing that enforcement only makes the rounds every 2 hours.
 
I think if loading zones were created expressly with ridesharing in mind, the cabbies would be out slashing tires on every Prius in sight, whether it's used for Uber/Lyft or not.
 
kmp1284 said:
I think if loading zones were created expressly with ridesharing in mind, the cabbies would be out slashing tires on every Prius in sight, whether it's used for Uber/Lyft or not.
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That'd be pretty bold to do if the driver is in the car, as would be the case if its an uber driver. If its just someone misuing the zone... its a risk to treating it like free parking.
 
DominusNovus said:
That'd be pretty bold to do if the driver is in the car, as would be the case if its an uber driver. If its just someone misuing the zone... its a risk to treating it like free parking.
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Semi-sarcastic hyperbole ... read it as "those cabbies are going to be f'ing ticked if the ridesharing drivers get preferential treatment!"
 
kmp1284 said:
Semi-sarcastic hyperbole ... read it as "those cabbies are going to be f'ing ticked if the ridesharing drivers get preferential treatment!"
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As if cab stands aren't a thing...

But yeah, the worst part of Uber and Lyft is all the cars live parked in the right lane, blocking traffic while they wait for their fares.
 
Sounds like a flaw in Uber's business plans. Maybe Uber can pay the city for rights to certain zones....HAHAHAHA
 
bigpicture7 said:
Sounds like a flaw in Uber's business plans. Maybe Uber can pay the city for rights to certain zones....HAHAHAHA
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Do taxi's pay for taxi stands at hotels? Or is that just something cities choose to allocate space for? Legitimately asking.
 
Its part of the medallion fee. The set of privileges afforded to taxiis are supposed to be part of the medallion fee.

Believe me I'm not defending taxiis...crappy service, etc.

But paying for stuff isn't what Uber is about.
 
20 cents of every Uber ride is a tax in the state of Massachusetts. 10 cents goes to local cities, 5 cents of the ride goes to taxi commissions, and 5 cents goes to a state transportation fund. The 10 cents on each ride could be used to pay for more loading zones (heck they could even increase it to 15 cents with the promise of more loading zones). Governments are always slow to adapt to change.

And cabbies in the Boston area (and much of the country other than New York) are dying. Many former cabbies are switching to Uber/Lyft and medallions are worth nothing. I do not believe that Cab Companies have much of a future.

The state of Massachusetts has roughly 62k active drivers for ride-sharing services (this is the number that passed the mandatory Massachusetts Background Check). If the average driver has 200 trips a month (doing just weekends I usually do around 40-50 trips) then there are 12.4 million rides every month in the state. If half of those originate in the city of Boston then the city is earning $620,000 every month from a ride-sharing tax. That's enough where the city could implement some ride-share friendly loading zones to make traffic flow smoother.

The solution to this issue is not increased police enforcement (ride share drivers can't go 3 blocks away for a legal spot to wait for passengers). The solution to this issue would be to offer ride-share drivers more places to pick up and drop off passengers legally.
 
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Listen Betty, don't start up with your white zone shit again.
 
Lol I'm just venting on here because a S$%tbag Somerville meter maid gave me a 100 dollar ticket after sitting in front of a fire hydrant for 60 secs to pick up a passenger. The ticket for double parking is half as much and it's easier to see a meter maid behind me, i'll just have to block traffic next time i'm in Davis Square (which I hate doing).
 
sm89 said:
Loading zones become free parking zones. Current policy is between 10 and 30 minutes. No one needs to stay with the vehicle so people just park and go about their business knowing that enforcement only makes the rounds every 2 hours.
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Theres a difference between no parking, no standing and no stopping
 
JeffDowntown said:
Unfortunately, it is a distinction to which drivers in Boston are completely oblivious.
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Paint to the rescue!

Heres what California does:

Painted colored curbs have the following special parking rules:

White–Stop only long enough to pick up or drop off passengers or mail.

Green–Park for a limited time. Look for a posted sign next to the green zone for time limits, or locate the time limit painted on the curb.

Yellow–Stop no longer than the time posted to load or unload passengers or freight. Drivers of noncommercial vehicles are usually required to stay with the vehicle.

Red–No stopping, standing, or parking. (Buses may stop at a red zone marked for buses.)
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jass said:
Paint to the rescue!

Heres what California does:
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Nice idea, but not sure it would work well in Boston.

Because of our weather, paint does not tend to last very long here. We can barely keep lane markings and crosswalks visible.

Add a bit of snow at the curb, and the markings are invisible for several months of the year.
 
JeffDowntown said:
Nice idea, but not sure it would work well in Boston.

Because of our weather, paint does not tend to last very long here. We can barely keep lane markings and crosswalks visible.

Add a bit of snow at the curb, and the markings are invisible for several months of the year.
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Curb paint tends to last much longer because it doesnt recieve any friction - plows and cars don't drive over it.

Fair point on the snow mounds though.
 
I want to see more loading zones (and stopping/standing zones) all should be favored uses versus parking.

A vehicle that is loading (or standing or stopping for 10min or less) is one that you know is mostly spending its time providing mobility, not parked, and not circling.

At least with a loading zone, you know that the street is being used for real mobility--not just parking (which is mostly static storage of a large personal item)
 
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