Ride-sharing’s Uneven Effect On Pennsylvania Transit Agencies

Ride-sharing has most significantly impacted the 28X, a bus that runs from the university district in Oakland through downtown and on to Pittsburgh International Airport. In 2013, before Lyft and then Uber arrived on the scene, the 28X averaged 58,786 rides per month; now, that monthly average is just more than 50,000. The agency may add luggage racks or more frequent service to regain riders, said Brandolph.

“We have been having informal discussions internally on what can we do, or what can we do better to get those riders back,” he said. “Make them choose public transit.”

Brandolph said it’s unclear why Port Authority’s ridership hasn’t been more affected. In Philadelphia, SEPTA ridership is down 2.7 percent overall between 2014 and 2016, as reported by Philly.com. The transit system there is undergoing a comprehensive review.

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