[jbrambleDC]

so i suspect they are trying to kill of Lyft, then replace drivers with autonomous driving and keep the prices relatively constant by having loyal customers join in on a subscription model like pool pass and use it as your daily commute. I am actually already taking Pool, with pool pass every day in DC for $1.00 per ride, $30 up front fee. Only way this is sustainable is to eventually replace drivers. Also to really have high customer volume and keep occupancy high they have to keep prices relatively close to a metro fare.

[revelation]

So they are building a worse rail?

[linkregister]

More like the last mile to stem the gap in coverage by Metro. Metro will always beat surface streets within downtown.

[jbrambleDC]

This is actually unclear. A lot of our metro systems are held together by crumbling infrastructure (like DC) and are becoming extremely slow, delayed and rely on unsafe tracks. To make matters worse a lot of competing jurisdictions are cutting public funding to maintaining the system. A commute from Vienna, VA to Metro center in DC has regularly been taking 1.5 - 2hrs. 3 years ago that trip was 45 min. its still about 30-45 min by car.

The only real benefit to public transit at this point is that it allows you to dodge the cost of parking your vehicle for a day while you are at work. But Uber has figured out other ways to successfully allow people to dodge that cost.

With Uber pool my commute takes roughly the same time as metro, is door to door, and now cheaper and in many ways safer than taking the metro.