[HoyaSaxa]

Uber really doesn't have that great of a value proposition in NYC IMHO. While Uber provides a huge value add in most markets via markedly lower rates and the convenience of not finding a taxi, this is not the case in NYC. Drivers still need to be licensed by the taxi commission so rides end up being more or less the same cost all in with the 20% tip as a normal yellow cab. More importantly, a cab is often the worst way to get from point a to point b in Manhattan. The subway and/or the bikesharing program, Citi bike, are generally the fastest ways to get around from 8AM to 8PM. Even if a cab/uber is going to be your best option, cabs are generally always available within a minute or two of waiting on any Manhattan corner while Ubers usually take 5-10 minutes to arrive depending on traffic and the time of day. It really boils down to population density. NYC is simply too dense to give Uber a logistical advantage like the majority of its markets.

[ceras]

I mostly agree for lower and midtown Manhattan, but NYC is much, much bigger than that. Elsewhere cabs are far less frequent, and subways less likely to be the fastest route (especially during weekend and late night service).

[falsestprophet]

"Uber really doesn't have that great of a value proposition in NYC IMHO."

Uber offers $5 shared rides anywhere in Manhattan during communing hours.

[potatolicious]

Which is only a value proposition if you're an agoraphobe - the trip takes eons compared to the subway.

There was some good discussion on the NYC subreddit when Uber rolled this out, and the general consensus was against it (including people who used it). Manhattan traffic during rush hour is awful - a cab is already likely slower than the train, even without the additional pooled passengers.

Add the pooled passengers and suddenly your commute becomes a full-hour affair - and some users reported exactly this sort of duration just getting from the UES to Midtown.

IMO the (genuine, deserved) popularity of ride-hailing around the US is less a validation of that specific transportation model and more an indictment of our utter failure to produce working mass transit. Where we have effective mass transit (and the MTA isn't even that good) the value proposition of ride hailing starts to fall apart. Ride-hailing is a local maxima, not a global maxima of transportation.

[falsestprophet]

"Which is only a value proposition if you're an agoraphobe - the trip takes eons compared to the subway."

There are parts of Manhattan that are not well served by the subway.

[vkou]

Which is called predatory pricing. (Courtesy of your pension fund.)

There is no way that Uber is not losing money on $5 rides.

[mkolodny]

Until Uber is cheaper than the subway (maybe with self-driving cars?), I totally agree that taking the subway in NYC generally makes more sense. But compared to taking a taxi, Uber is a way better experience. In taxis I'm always stressed out the whole time making sure that the driver isn't going the long way to jack up the fare.

[awad]

Ever try to take a cab to Flatbush at 2AM?