Uber

NYC will require Uber and Lyft to go fully electric by 2030

Photo by Pranay Pareek on Unsplash

January 30, 2023

NYC will require Uber and Lyft to go fully electric by 2030

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All New York City Uber and Lyft rideshare vehicles must go 100 percent electric by 2030, Mayor Eric Adams announced during his State of the City address last week. The decision will affect roughly 100,000 drivers for the two rideshare platforms, which both applauded the city's announcement, as first reported by The Verge.
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Uber will include NYC’s yellow taxis on its app

Photo by joiseyshowaa on Flickr

March 24, 2022

Uber will include NYC’s yellow taxis on its app

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After years of competition, New York City yellow taxis and Uber are joining forces. NYC yellow taxi platform Creative Mobile Technologies (CMT) and Uber on Thursday announced a partnership permitting city taxis to be listed on the popular rideshare app, giving them access to a larger customer base. The combined service is expected to begin in beta this spring and will be made available to riders this summer, according to a press release.
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2019’s top Uber destinations included the Empire State Building–and the Queens Center Mall

Photo by Daniel Schwen via Wikimedia Commons

December 4, 2019

2019’s top Uber destinations included the Empire State Building–and the Queens Center Mall

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Photo by Daniel Schwen via Wikimedia Commons Rideshare service Uber took a year-end look at some of its most requested destinations throughgout the world, revealing some surprising facts. For tourists using Uber, the Empire State Building stands as tall as it ever did: The Big Apple icon beat out the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Disneyland as the most requested endpoint on the planet (the Freedom Tower came in at second place). In the state of New York, the most requested destination overall wasn't a tall tower but a bustling mall in Elmhurst, Queens, according to the New York Post.
Where else did we go in 2019
Uber Copter launches $200 helicopter rides from Manhattan to JFK

Photo via Neo_II / Flickr cc

October 3, 2019

Uber Copter launches $200 helicopter rides from Manhattan to JFK

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As of today, New Yorkers who want to get to JFK Airport as quickly as possible can do so via a private helicopter ride. In an email sent out to customers today, Uber Technologies announced the full launch of Uber Copter, a helicopter that you can book via the app that will take you from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport to JFK for $200-$225. The program opened on July 9th, but now any Uber member can book a chopper on weekday afternoons between 1pm and 6pm. Though you'll need to get to/from the heliport in lower Manhattan and your terminal, the flight itself is only eight minutes.
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NYC extends cap on Uber, Lyft for another year

Via Flickr

August 8, 2019

NYC extends cap on Uber, Lyft for another year

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The city's Taxi and Limousine Commission voted on Wednesday to extend the cap on for-hire vehicle licenses for one year and reduce the time drivers can travel without passengers, the Wall Street Journal reported. The cap on licenses, the first of its kind in the country, was first introduced last year as part of a pilot program aimed at regulating the growing for-hire vehicle industry as well as reducing traffic and pollution.
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De Blasio plans to extend NYC’s limits on Lyft and Uber and make them permanent

Via Flickr

June 13, 2019

De Blasio plans to extend NYC’s limits on Lyft and Uber and make them permanent

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As the city's for-hire vehicles (FHVs) rack up nearly 800,000 rides per day, Mayor Bill De Blasio announced on Wednesday the Taxi and Limousine Commission's new plan to extend last year's cap on for-hire vehicle licenses, the New York Post reports. A second cap will be placed on the length of time FHVs can let their cars cruise the city without passengers in the most congested part of Manhattan, below 96th Street. Last August, the city also suspended the issuance of new licenses. The new policies are expected to increase driver salaries by about 20 percent and make traffic in Manhattan below 60th Street six to 10 percent faster.
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Uber Copter coming to NYC this summer, will offer helicopter trips to JFK for $200

Image: Maxpixel CC public domain.

June 6, 2019

Uber Copter coming to NYC this summer, will offer helicopter trips to JFK for $200

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In 2017, Uber announced plans to begin testing four-passenger flying taxi services for a division called Uber Elevate in Dallas/Fort Worth, with more testing planned for Los Angeles in 2020 ahead of the 2028 Olympics. But the ride-hailing service will be bringing helicopter service to New York City much sooner. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that starting July 9, Uber will be offering Uber Copter, a new service, available via the Uber app, that will shuttle passengers between Lower Manhattan and JFK Airport.
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NYC sets $17 minimum wage for Lyft and Uber drivers

Via Wikimedia

December 5, 2018

NYC sets $17 minimum wage for Lyft and Uber drivers

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Roughly 80,000 for-hire vehicle drivers in New York City are expected to get a pay raise next year. The city's Taxi and Limousine Commission on Tuesday voted to secure a minimum wage for drivers with ride-hailing companies, including Uber, Lyft, Via, and Juno, making New York the first city in the world to do so. Going into effect in 30 days, the new rule mandates a minimum wage of $17.22 per hour, after expenses. That hourly rate is equivalent to the city's employee minimum wage of $15 per hour, which will be set at the end of this year.
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Citi Bike, Uber, Lyft offering New Yorkers free and discounted rides to vote

Photo via Citi Bike

November 5, 2018

Citi Bike, Uber, Lyft offering New Yorkers free and discounted rides to vote

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Just over 61 percent of Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election, and according to a Harvard poll, 14 percent of those who didn't turn out cited a lack of transportation as the reason. In response, public transportation agencies, car services, and bike/scooter shares in cities throughout the nation will offer free and discounted rides tomorrow for the midtern elections to those traveling to vote. Here in NYC, Citi Bike is offering free rides (as well as in Jersey City), Uber is giving $10 off in addition to adding a poll locater button in its app, and Lyft is giving half off rides, as well as code for free rides to underserved communities.
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Another blow to Uber, ride-hailing app launches for NYC yellow taxis

Via Wikimedia

August 23, 2018

Another blow to Uber, ride-hailing app launches for NYC yellow taxis

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Earlier this month, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a package of bills to limit for-hire vehicles, like Uber and Lyft, by placing a one-year cap on new licenses. And this week the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) approved a pilot program for a new ride-hailing app for yellow taxis, according to Curbed NY. Calling itself the "next generation taxi app," Waave promises to give New Yorkers upfront fares, surge-free pricing and estimated time of arrival before the car arrives, all features currently offered by Uber.
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NYC Council passes one-year cap on Uber and Lyft

Via joiseyshowaa on Flickr

August 9, 2018

NYC Council passes one-year cap on Uber and Lyft

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The New York City Council approved on Wednesday a package of legislation to regulate for-hire vehicles, like Uber and Lyft, making New York the first major city to cap new licenses. The legislation will stop issuing licenses to for-hire vehicles for one year, as the city studies the growing industry. And a minimum wage, which could start at $17.22 an hour, will be established for app-based drivers, which no city has done before.
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Cap on ride-hailing services in NYC is a civil rights issue, racial justice groups say
July 30, 2018

Cap on ride-hailing services in NYC is a civil rights issue, racial justice groups say

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Photo via Wikimedia As New York City prepares to become the first major city in the country to cap the number of vehicles driving for services like Uber, racial justice organizations are rallying against the legislation, calling it a civil rights issue. Groups like the National Urban League and the N.A.A.C.P say the City Council's plan to place a freeze on the amount of for-hire vehicle licenses for one year hurts minority New Yorkers who have trouble hailing taxis on the street. "Some yellow cabs won't even go uptown or to parts of Brooklyn," Rev. Al Sharpton told the New York Times. "If you are downtown they won't stop."
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MTA says Uber use is the cause of NYC subway and bus ridership drop

Image: Todd Shaffer via Flickr.

July 24, 2018

MTA says Uber use is the cause of NYC subway and bus ridership drop

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According to the Wall Street Journal, the MTA has presented data showing that lower New York City mass transit use numbers matched up with an uptick in taxi and ride-hailing trips. Even as the city's population grows, subway and bus ridership has been declining. New York City Transit Executive Vice President Tim Mulligan explained in a presentation Monday how dips in weekday subway ridership between 2016 and 2017 coincided with increased use of taxi and for-hire vehicles.
An international phenomenon
Uber is bringing dockless, electric bikes to the Bronx, Rockaways, and Staten Island
July 5, 2018

Uber is bringing dockless, electric bikes to the Bronx, Rockaways, and Staten Island

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In May, 6sqft reported that outer-borough neighborhoods underserved by Citi Bike would get dockless bike-share programs this summer. On Tuesday, the city’s pilot officially kicked off in the Rockaways, the area around Fordham University in the Bronx, and the North Shore of Staten Island, and to make things more exciting, the city is also offering electric bikes (h/t NY Times). The Uber-owned Jump Bikes is providing dockless electric bikes that can reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour with little user effort. The bikes will cost only a dollar or two and can be reserved and paid for in the Uber app.
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Six futuristic Skyport concepts revealed for flying Ubers
May 10, 2018

Six futuristic Skyport concepts revealed for flying Ubers

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Uber has lofty goals- literally. 6sqft previously reported on the ride-sharing company's partnership with NASA to develop software to operate their “flying Ubers” for uberAIR by 2023. Clearly, flying Ubers need somewhere to takeoff and land, so yesterday, at their second annual elevate conference in Los Angeles, the company revealed the top six Skyport conceptual designs that are just as futuristic as the flying taxi concept itself.
Could these land in NYC?
Thanks to a new start-up, your Uber might be stocked with Skittles and Korean face masks

Photo via Cargo

January 25, 2018

Thanks to a new start-up, your Uber might be stocked with Skittles and Korean face masks

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A new start-up wants to convert your Uber or Lyft car into a 7-Eleven on wheels while benefitting drivers in the process. The company, called Cargo, sends drivers a box packed with snacks and amenities, like Pringles, earbuds and Advil to sell to riders. While some goodies are free, others like an iPhone charging cord will cost a few bucks, but passengers can easily pay on their phones, according to Forbes. Each time a passenger uses Cargo, even if it's just for the free samples, drivers can earn money. According to the company, drivers can earn up to $300 per month, with most earning about $100 every month.
Snack on this
Should Uber and Lyft riders pay a fee for clogging Manhattan’s busiest streets?

Traffic in NYC, photo via joiseyshowaa on Flickr

December 27, 2017

Should Uber and Lyft riders pay a fee for clogging Manhattan’s busiest streets?

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As New York City’s failure-prone subway system continues to disappoint, some commuters are turning to ride-hailing services like Uber or Lyft to reach their destinations instead. While getting picked up by a car is easy, especially in the busiest areas of Manhattan, the bumper-to-bumper traffic makes getting anywhere actually more difficult. A report released by Bruce Schaller, a former deputy city transportation commissioner, found that one-third of ride-hailing cars and yellow cabs are often driving on the city's most congested blocks without any passengers, creating unnecessary traffic (h/t New York Times). As a way to reduce car congestion, officials are considering a new fee on for-hire vehicles, possibly a way to raise money for the strapped-for-cash MTA.
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Flying Ubers coming in 2023 after NASA partnership

A recently-released rendering of what Uber’s flying taxi, to begin testing in 2020, might look like. (Credit: Uber Technologies via AM New York).

November 9, 2017

Flying Ubers coming in 2023 after NASA partnership

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6sqft reported recently on testing of the CityAirbus self-piloted flying taxi by Airbus. There's already competition ahead, it seems: Uber reported Wednesday that the company is joining the U.S. National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) in the development of software for managing flying taxi routes–essentially "flying Ubers." In what represents the first formal services contract by NASA dealing with low-altitude airspace, Uber plans to begin testing proposed four-passenger, 200-miles-per-hour flying taxi services in Dallas/Fort Worth, with more testing planned for Los Angeles in 2020 in advance of the 2028 Olympics.
So when can I call one?
NYC anticipated to become a major hub for self-driving cars

Image of Uber’s self-driving vehicle via Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

May 1, 2017

NYC anticipated to become a major hub for self-driving cars

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On top of plans to roll out flying taxis in NYC within five years, ride-hailing company Uber, in addition to many similar companies, hopes to make driverless cars next on their list of proposals. As reported by Crain’s, shared driverless vehicles could account for a quarter of all miles driven in the U.S. by 2030. Since the cars would be shared, driverless and electric, the low-cost would allow many people to give up their personal cars, especially in densely populated cities. New Yorkers own fewer vehicles than residents in any other U.S. city, making it the biggest market for ride-hail services as well as the perfect guinea pig for companies to test driverless vehicles.
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Uber hopes to bring flying taxis to NYC within five years
April 26, 2017

Uber hopes to bring flying taxis to NYC within five years

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The sky is the limit for the popular ride-hailing app, Uber. The company announced Tuesday that it intends to roll out a network of flying cars, or VTOLs (aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing) beginning in Dallas-Fort Worth and Dubai by 2020. And as reported by the NY Post, one of Uber’s partners, Blade helicopter service, aims to make New York City a target for its plan within five years. If so, these vehicles, which travel at 200 mph, could take passengers from Manhattan to JFK Airport in as little as five minutes.
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At $31B, Airbnb now second most valuable private company behind Uber
March 10, 2017

At $31B, Airbnb now second most valuable private company behind Uber

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After raising an additional $1 billion in a financing round that began last summer, Airbnb, the short-term stay rental company, is now listed as the second most valuable private company in the United States, following Uber, the ride-hailing business, as the New York Times reported. Airbnb, based in San Francisco, has raised more than $3 billion and secured a $1 billion line of credit since the company was founded in 2008. It is now worth nearly $31 billion dollars.
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Port Authority may add $4 curbside taxi fee at airports

Image by Grant Wickens via flick CC

February 21, 2017

Port Authority may add $4 curbside taxi fee at airports

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Image by Grant Wickens via flick CC As far back as 2015, 6sqft reported that the Port Authority was considering fees for vehicles pulling up curbside to drop off or pick up passengers at New York City's airports as a way to reduce the congestion that has worsened since services like Uber and Lyft have arrived. The city's airports are among the only ones in the U.S. that don't charge curbside access fees. Now the Daily News has obtained a Port Authority draft proposal outlining the proposed fees. Taxi and hired car passengers could be hit with a $4 charge for each trip in and out of Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports as early as next year. The fee would be charged to the car operators and would presumably be passed to passengers
The idea is not getting a warm reception
With the rise of ride-hailing apps, daily yellow cab trips fell 27 percent since 2010
January 16, 2017

With the rise of ride-hailing apps, daily yellow cab trips fell 27 percent since 2010

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6sqft recently shared analysis that 3,000 ridesharing vehicles could replace the city's fleet of 13,587 taxis. And while this was more a comment on how carpooling can decrease congestion and emissions, it also points to a changing landscape for yellow cabs. In a piece this weekend, the Times looks at how taxis have fallen out of favor with New Yorkers since apps like Uber and Lyft came onto the scene; these vehicles now number more than 60,000. In 2010, for example, yellow cabs made an average of 463,701 trips, 27 percent more than the 336,737 trips this past November, which also resulted in a drop in fares from $5.17 million to $4.98 million. And just since 2014, the cost of a cab medallion was cut in less than half of its former $1.3 million price tag.
Read more on this trend
3,000 Ubers could replace NYC’s fleet of 14,000 taxis
January 4, 2017

3,000 Ubers could replace NYC’s fleet of 14,000 taxis

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If the city is looking to cut down on emissions and reduce traffic, here is some food for thought courtesy of folks over at MIT. Researchers at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) have determined that 3,000 ridesharing vehicles have the potential to do the same amount of work as NYC's fleet of roughly 14,000 taxis—that is if New Yorkers are willing to use rideshare carpooling like Lyft Line and Uber POOL.
find out more here
Study Suggests Competition From Uber May Curb Cabbie Rudeness
January 15, 2016

Study Suggests Competition From Uber May Curb Cabbie Rudeness

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Is the rise of car share services like Uber and Lyft making taxi drivers nicer? The Washington Post reports that according to research presented this week by the Technology Policy Institute's Scott Wallsten, complaints are down in New York and Chicago, including those about general rudeness, busted A/C, and that bit about the credit card machine not working. The drop in complaints corresponds with the rise of availability of Uber and Lyft in those cities, they claim.
What are New Yorkers complaining about less
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