Uber & Lyft as a source of congestion

Yeah, ever since I moved to an urban area I almost never order any deliveries. The whole point of an urban lifestyle is being able to walk and buy things nearby. They really should restrict deliveries to nights only. Suburbs are better built with ample road infrastructure so deliveries work fine there. NYC should tax deliveries at a high rate if this is really a problem. But they make plenty with the fines so maybe there’s no impetus for change.
 
Yeah, ever since I moved to an urban area I almost never order any deliveries. The whole point of an urban lifestyle is being able to walk and buy things nearby. They really should restrict deliveries to nights only. Suburbs are better built with ample road infrastructure so deliveries work fine there. NYC should tax deliveries at a high rate if this is really a problem. But they make plenty with the fines so maybe there’s no impetus for change.
BarbaricManchurian

You seem to be living in a time warp

With local stores such as mom & pop hardware closing left and right -- it is getting harder and harder to find a Philips #1 screwdriver bit for your drill by walking or even taking an uber locally
More and more because of the rent that the landlords charge on a popular street -- you in the city have to go to a big box store

Ironically, We in the suburbs still have the mom & pop hardware stores because of much lower rent - -- although even in the suburbs the days of the 5 & dime or equivalent are numbered

For example just down the street from me in Arlington Heights there were both old-style 5&dime [closed last year when the old-dude decided to just retire] and oldish-style hardware [they did make the concession to become a True-Value] -- I can walk to both places in less than 10 minutes
 
That Times article was ridiculous hysteria. The idea that any city should privilege private cars over delivery vehicles serving many is nuts. Hierarchical distribution systems are efficient - that's why we use them for electricity and all of our other utilities. Just as not everyone has their own private wires to the power plant, so we shouldn't be relying on everyone to make their own private drives to the store.
 
BarbaricManchurian

You seem to be living in a time warp

With local stores such as mom & pop hardware closing left and right -- it is getting harder and harder to find a Philips #1 screwdriver bit for your drill by walking or even taking an uber locally
More and more because of the rent that the landlords charge on a popular street -- you in the city have to go to a big box store

Ironically, We in the suburbs still have the mom & pop hardware stores because of much lower rent - -- although even in the suburbs the days of the 5 & dime or equivalent are numbered

For example just down the street from me in Arlington Heights there were both old-style 5&dime [closed last year when the old-dude decided to just retire] and oldish-style hardware [they did make the concession to become a True-Value] -- I can walk to both places in less than 10 minutes

Umm I can take a bus to a big-box store if really needed. I don't really have a need for hardware often as I live in a rented studio where I'm not responsible for maintenance. All I'm saying is that I personally am not a fan of deliveries, even when they cost less. Sitting at my home and ordering is not as fun to me as going out into the world and solving one's problem then and there.
 
That Times article was ridiculous hysteria. The idea that any city should privilege private cars over delivery vehicles serving many is nuts. Hierarchical distribution systems are efficient - that's why we use them for electricity and all of our other utilities. Just as not everyone has their own private wires to the power plant, so we shouldn't be relying on everyone to make their own private drives to the store.
Curcuas -- that is tortured and flawed logic

In point of fact everyone has there own "wire" from their house to the Communications Store AkA the Telephone Company -- it was a major breakthrough to allow everyone their own private conversation
Early on -- there were Public Telephone Lines -- aka Party Lines where M Jones could find out about M Smiths unpleasant rash by just picking up the phone at the "right" time

The reason that water, sewer, gas and electricity are delivered the way that they are -- in "parallel" is because the electricity, water and gas going to your house are indistinguishable from the electricty, water and gas going to your neighbors house -- despite the attempt by the politicians and electric utility to perpetrate the fraud that you can pay more to be 'Green"

The weird special case is sewage -- where everyone's very personal sewage is agglomerated together -- because since the pipes are "one-way" no one can use the toilet at the "right" time to find out how their neighbor is doing

Then finally we come to the closest analogy -- the pick-up up of yard waste, recyclable materials and ordinary garbage -- in general its a one-way collective flow like sewage -- but in the case of some people's trash is another's raw material-- there is voluntary sharing -- mediated by whatever you put on the street becoming a "Free Good" available to all

So Now we get back to the original premise -- that everyone should depend on some sort of "Public delivery," rather than private vehicles -- the answer is of course -- BOTH -- where they are appropriate -- everything such as convenience, cost, privacy apply on an INDIVIDUAL Basis

And in the future there may be more options such as Private Delivery Lockers [e.g. Amazon] available by per use fee, or other means such as subscriptions -- where an individual might have a registered proxy accept secure delivery -- with notification -- so that you may either come by to pick it up or arrange for a delivery at your convenience
 
This morning at Logan an Uber was 50 bucks, I opted for the free silver line and made it to Andrew pretty quickly. If I werent trying to get to work as quickly as possible I wouldnt even bother with Uber. In the end, the T was efficient and even possibly quicker
 
BarbaricManchurian

You seem to be living in a time warp

With local stores such as mom & pop hardware closing left and right -- it is getting harder and harder to find a Philips #1 screwdriver bit for your drill by walking or even taking an uber locally
More and more because of the rent that the landlords charge on a popular street -- you in the city have to go to a big box store

Ironically, We in the suburbs still have the mom & pop hardware stores because of much lower rent - -- although even in the suburbs the days of the 5 & dime or equivalent are numbered

For example just down the street from me in Arlington Heights there were both old-style 5&dime [closed last year when the old-dude decided to just retire] and oldish-style hardware [they did make the concession to become a True-Value] -- I can walk to both places in less than 10 minutes
Umm I can take a bus to a big-box store if really needed. I don't really have a need for hardware often as I live in a rented studio where I'm not responsible for maintenance. All I'm saying is that I personally am not a fan of deliveries, even when they cost less. Sitting at my home and ordering is not as fun to me as going out into the world and solving one's problem then and there.
This^

The Somerville Home Depot is close by bike and bus if I need it, but, I never do amazon packages at my doorstep because it makes more sense to have them dropped at the Amazon Hub lockers that are pretty much on every street corner these days. No chance of getting wet or stolen.
 
Yeah, ever since I moved to an urban area I almost never order any deliveries. The whole point of an urban lifestyle is being able to walk and buy things nearby. They really should restrict deliveries to nights only. Suburbs are better built with ample road infrastructure so deliveries work fine there. NYC should tax deliveries at a high rate if this is really a problem. But they make plenty with the fines so maybe there’s no impetus for change.

Same. I walk or bike to get most things. But we have to acknowledge that a lot of people don't behave that way. Even in my own household, my wife and teen children order all sorts of deliverable purchases. :(
 
Well I agree with the overall consensus that private cars are worse than delivery vehicles. I think the issue is a bit overhyped by the NY Times and their busybody readership. People who are at work during work hours won't even notice this stuff. NY Times commenters also hate bicycles and bicyclists and bike lanes.
 
Why is anyone paying attention to the people who comment on newspaper articles? It’s the dregs of popular discourse. Those comments are also not very reflective of a media orgs readers/viewers.
 
The level of discussion is much higher than other papers, college level, but it totally is dominated by them (the busybodies) on any topic about bicycling. But I generally agree with most comments on political news.
 
Week one of both the Uber/Lyft move at Logan (Terminal A/C) and the move at LAX (Lax-it), for once it looks like Boston has managed to handle it way way better. The PR for LAX has been a disaster, hour long waits etc. Logan seems to have gone smoothly, the staged roll out by terminal was a good choice. Only minor hiccups of drivers still going to the wrong places it seems.
 
...for once it looks like Boston has managed to handle it way way better...

Logan/Massport have solid operations. I'm not at all surprised they handled this better than LAX.

My understanding is that LAX now requires a bus for all ground transportation, including Uber/Lyft and taxis. Logan kept taxis at the curbside and Uber/Lyft pickups within walking distance.
 
Week one of both the Uber/Lyft move at Logan (Terminal A/C) and the move at LAX (Lax-it), for once it looks like Boston has managed to handle it way way better. The PR for LAX has been a disaster, hour long waits etc. Logan seems to have gone smoothly, the staged roll out by terminal was a good choice. Only minor hiccups of drivers still going to the wrong places it seems.

The issue with LA is that the staging area they built was way too small, so the ride hail vehicles are backing up onto the local roadways.

My understanding is that LAX now requires a bus for all ground transportation, including Uber/Lyft and taxis. Logan kept taxis at the curbside and Uber/Lyft pickups within walking distance.

They moved all ride hail companies, including cabs, to the same lot.

Buses, including hotel shuttles, were moved to the inner curb roadway. Private pickups and limos were moved to the outer curb roadway
 
This Monday Logan Uber/Lyft dropoffs between 4am and 10am move to the lower arrivals curb. Does anyone understand the logic of this? This means TNC dropoffs will be blocking the SL/buses from the curbs on the lower level between 4a-10a. I know dropoffs take less time than pickups but I have no doubt they will all pull into the bus areas to do them and leave us SL passengers boarding in the middle lane and walking to the curb.

20190402_174442.jpg
 
Last edited:
Anyone notice any difference in the taxi-cab business? I'd think it'd be a great sell being able to get picked up/dropped off at the curb and being faster than waiting for the app-ride to match you up through the queue. Especially for late night arrivals, I'd happily pay a few $ extra to get home faster and not have to drag my ski bag all the way to the garage.
 
I always take cabs home from Logan. Not much more expensive if you're not going too far and it's very easy. Not sure why people have become such slaves to Uber/Lyft when–in this particular circumstance–cabs are easier.
 
I always take cabs home from Logan. Not much more expensive if you're not going too far and it's very easy. Not sure why people have become such slaves to Uber/Lyft when–in this particular circumstance–cabs are easier.
The promise of a set fare is a big draw, I certainly like that I can quickly compare fares from Uber and Lyft and choose the cheapest and know exactly what I'm paying. Also the fairly accurate arrival times are useful especially when I'm planning trips to the airport, knowing when I need to leave the get there on time. Also the "card reader" is always working on TNCs and I have confidence that if something went wrong during the journey the company would quickly refund. Also I love the shared ride functionality in TNC apps, makes me feel a little less bad about not taking transit. And makes them cheaper usually. Oh and lastly Lyft gives you Delta skymiles for airport journeys which is a nice bonus.

All that being said I still avoid TNCs at all cost at Logan as I've never had good experiences with them, I'd rather hunt down a Silver Line than deal with them.
 

Back
Top