?As these services grow, vehicle miles traveled will grow, even if vehicle ownership declines? Ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft have quickly gone from startups to billion-dollar companies and everyday parts of the urban transportation ecosystem, altering how we get around.
A new study, released today by University of California Davis transportation researcher Dr. Regina Clewlow, found that while widespread usage of these services may be decreasing the number of miles users drive themselves, it appears, overall, to increase the total miles driven in cities. App users aren?t just substituting trips, but adding additional ones. The finding raises thorny questions about future transportation policy.
Clewlow?s research found that 49 to 61 percent of ride-hailing trips ?would not have been made at all, or made by walking, biking, or transit.? It?s a key factor in her determination that ?ride-hailing is currently likely to contribute to growth in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the major cities represented in this study.?
Regina Clewlow
Respondents were asked, ?If Uber or Lyft were unavailable, which transportation alternatives would you use for the trips that you make using Uber or Lyft"?

?The implications of this data raises significant concern for travel behavior researchers, suggesting that as these services grow, vehicle miles traveled will grow, even if vehicle ownership declines,? Clewlow told Curbed. ?It?s not about owners...