undefined | Better HN

0 pointsch4s38y ago0 comments

You're missing my point, I'm not talking about Uber vs owning a car. My point is that for people like you who might take public transit, walk, bike, or otherwise not take a taxi Uber lowers the total cost of a car trip, thereby increasing your demand for car trips. Also, while taking 2+ trips per day will eventually cost more, it's cheaper in the short run where people actually make decisions.

Furthermore, Ubers like cabs drive around waiting for fares so they create traffic while not providing rides. Similarly with recent cases of Uber driver brigading to drive up surge prices, they also create surges of traffic.

Gas taxes only pay for up to 40% of road maintenance and that's in states with the highest gas taxes. The rest of the cost is made up from general funds and transportation budgets. There was a high profile case recently in Maryland where the governor redirected light rail funds to highway maintenance and construction. In fact gas taxes have never fully covered road construction and maintenance costs anywhere in the US, ever.

0 comments

2 comments · 1 top-level

icebraining8y ago· 1 in thread

My point is that for people like you who might take public transit, walk, bike, or otherwise not take a taxi Uber lowers the total cost of a car trip, thereby increasing your demand for car trips

No, because, like I said at the beginning, if I didn't have Uber I'd get my own car, and so my marginal cost per car trip would be much lower, and so I'd use it more than the couple of quarterly rides I take nowadays.

Furthermore, Ubers like cabs drive around waiting for fares so they create traffic while not providing rides.

On the other hand, if I need to go some place after work, I'd need to take my car to work during the morning commute, creating extra traffic. Also, there's driving around looking for parking. Finally, there's UberPOOL.

Gas taxes only pay for up to 40% of road maintenance and that's in states with the highest gas taxes.

Fair enough. Sounds like states need to raise their gas taxes. But at least here Uber also pays 23% VAT. Don't they pay sales tax over there?

ch4s3OP8y ago

Yeah, they pay sales tax here. And we do need to raise our gas tax, but its sadly politically infeasible.

What I'm getting at is there are costs other than just gas, car payments, maintenance when taking car trips. Things like needing to be alert to drive, parking, and navigating that Uber lowers and creates demand for trips where people otherwise wouldn't drive/take a car and may have foregone altogether.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse