Ride Sharing Is Already Reducing Car Ownership And Public Transportation Usage

A recent study by the ride-hailing service Lyft and a similar study by a group of American universities pointed to the positive impact ride-sharing services not only have on consumers, but on the surrounding communities they service. These studies found that ride-hailing services aid in reducing congestion, increase individual consumer mobility, and found that in 2017 alone, Lyft passengers spent over $2 billion more in communities where ride-sharing services exist. But, the studies and more also point to the negative impact ride sharing services have on individual car ownership and public transportation usage in the same areas.

Lyft's study found that the availability of ride sharing services do impact car ownership, both due to commuters' decision to replace existing cars and their decision to sell their cars altogether. Lyft found that in 2017 alone, almost 250,000 of their ride sharing passengers using Lyft have sold their personal car or abandoned replacing