Regulation catching up with the ride-sharing industry

As Uber, Sidecar, and Lyft ride-sharing services have expanded their reach into cities across the world, questions about if and how they should be regulated have followed close behind. Recently, a number of U.S. cities and states have begun taking action to regulate these services in ways that allow them to operate but require them to meet licensing, registration, vehicle, and insurance requirements.

A New Way To Go: The Transportation Apps and Vehicle-Sharing Tools that Are Giving More Americans the Freedom to Drive Less (USPIRG, 2013)

Over the last 15 years, the Internet and mobile communications technologies have transformed the way Americans live and work. During that same period, growth in vehicle travel slowed and then stopped, with Americans today driving about as much on average as we did in 1996. Early evidence suggests that new innovations in technology and social networking are beginning to change America’s transportation landscape.

Mode choice? There’s an app for that

For almost a decade, per-capita VMT has shown a flat to downward trend. But don’t be fooled; people are traveling. Transit ridership is up. Biking and walking for transportation continues to increase. Car-sharing and ride-sharing services are seeing a boom. New technologies, including smart phone applications and interactive web sites, give these intrepid travelers the tools they need to decode the mysteries of public transit and investigate the growing availability of non-motorized travel options.