BOSTON, MA (WBZ-AM) -- A new study shows that people using Uber or Lyft are contributing to traffic congestion in and around Boston.
Mark Draisen, head of the Massachusetts Area Planning Council, tells WBZ NewsRadio1030 Carl Stevens that their study of local ride-sharing services indicates that ride sharing services are contributing to congestion on streets in and around Boston because people who used to take public transportation aren't:
“We found that approximately that 15-percent of all the rides we surveyed were a transfer from transit, biking or walking during the morning or evening rush hour so that’s a pretty significant number,” Draisen said.
His concern is that ride-services are taking customers from the “T" and at the same time slowing the commutes for everybody.
“A considerable number of those people would have been in transit or even biking or walking if they have not been in the Uber, Lyft car or other services.”
According to the report the MAPC surveyed nearly 1,000 ride-hailing passengers in late 2017 and asked about their demographics, the nature of their trip, and why they chose ride-hailing over other modes of transportation.
They found that most users who used these services were under the age of 35, used them weekly and did not own a vehicle.
You can read the full report on the MAPC site by clicking here
WBZ NewsRadio1030’s Carl Stevens reports.