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by stale2002 3131 days ago
Ok, maybe it hurts competitors, but how in the world does it mess with public transportation?

Public transportation can't handle the load across the country. If everyone starts using VC subsidized services, that FIXES the public transportation under capacity problem.

Public transportation loses money. So if people find something better or cheaper, then all the better!
1 comments
TheDong 3131 days ago
> Ok, maybe it hurts competitors, but how in the world does it mess with public transportation? ... If everyone starts using VC subsidized services...

If no one uses public transit, public transit will be hurt clearly.

The real risk though is that people who can afford uber start using it, public transit fails, and then uber increases its price since people have fewer options.

> Public transportation loses money. So

Public transit loses money in a narrow view of things. In the grand scheme though, it's paid for by tax dollars and is for the good of the public.

There have been a few studies that show accessible public transit is a huge factor in benefiting the poor[0].

The fact that it's subsidized by taxes (and thus moreso by the rich than the poor) is part of the reason it can benefit those people who aren't so well off.

If a VC subsidized service takes over, well, VC subsidization is a far less sustainable method of providing for the poor than taxes.

0: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/07/upshot/transportation-eme...

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stale2002 3131 days ago
Public transit is overcrowded in many places. So the less people that use it the better, as it means that it won't be overcrowded and have to deal with the issues that overuse creates.

It is not about 'nobody' using it. It is about less people, than the already too much people who are using it.

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dpatru 3131 days ago
> There have been a few studies that show accessible public transit is a huge factor in benefiting the poor.

No doubt being able to travel is a huge benefit. But this does not require public transport. The poor could be given Uber-vouchers.

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HashHishBang 3131 days ago
They could...or we could keep utilizing the multi-billion dollar investments that have been made in public transportation.

I'm curious as to the arguments that can be made for (presumably government) subsidies for privatized individual transport. I'd be shocked if we see Uber pivot from normal vehicles into mass transit so we have to assume they continue using the current model.

At that point we're offering vouchers for semi-private drivers because...we don't like public transit?

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