By Matt Kelly The so-called “sharing economy” has revolutionized the way people travel, lodge, eat, and work through companies such as Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, and OpenTable. Buyers and sellers are increasingly transacting on online platforms that use a mix of demand pricing, reputation mechanisms, and computer algorithms to match users. This innovation represents a dramatic challenge … Continue reading Regulators Adapt to the Sharing Economy
New Study Sheds Light on Ridesharing’s Labor Market
By Matt Kelly Few economic issues have been more talked about this year than the disruptive forays into the taxi market by ridesharing technology companies like Uber and Lyft. It seems reasonable to assume ridesharing drivers are of the same ilk as traditional taxi drivers, yet little academic research has been done...until now. A recent … Continue reading New Study Sheds Light on Ridesharing’s Labor Market
New Study Tests the Merits of Surge Pricing
By Matt Kelly As Uber, Lyft and other “ridesharing” services continue to revolutionize the urban transportation landscape, more complaints are surfacing questioning the efficiency and fairness of the innovative services they provide. One of the more recent is “surge pricing,” the idea that services provided during peak periods carry a higher charge or fee. A … Continue reading New Study Tests the Merits of Surge Pricing
Taxi Regulation Reduces Driver Opportunity
Original post date: September 30, 2014 Article by: Ben Douglas For decades, state and local governments have imposed dramatic entry controls on the taxi industry across the United States. These regulatory hurdles benefit established companies at the expense of drivers. Many cities issue "medallions," a permit that grants its owner the legal right the right … Continue reading Taxi Regulation Reduces Driver Opportunity
Do UberX Driveres Really Earn Three Times More than Taxi Drivers?
Original post date: September 16, 2014 Article by: Ben Douglas In May, Uber revealed annual median incomes for UberX drivers in New York and San Francisco of $90,766 and $74,191, respectively. In contrast, 2013 median annual taxi driver incomes in New York and San Francisco are $29,910 and $28,060 according to the Bureau of Labor … Continue reading Do UberX Driveres Really Earn Three Times More than Taxi Drivers?
Uber Wars Transcend Party Lines
Original post date: September 08, 2014 Article by: Ben Douglas 6/8/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. High-ranking Republican officials have recently come out in support of Uber, the innovative but legally-troubled ridesharing app that connects drivers and passengers. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus penned an op-ed in the … Continue reading Uber Wars Transcend Party Lines