App rides zap transit, roads

UBER, LYFT and the other appbased car services are taking riders away from public transit and putting more miles on roadways, according to a study involving U.S. cities.

Public transit use dropped 6% on average in seven major American cities, including New York, the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California-Davis found in its study.

“When asked explicitly why one might substitute ride-hailing for public transit, the most popular response of all ride-hailing respondents was that ‘services are too slow,’ ” the report said.

The net drop in public transit use came from bus and light rail trips, balanced out with slight increases in commuter and heavy rail trips among ride-hailing travelers.

More than a third of trips in a ride-hail car would have been made by walking, biking or taking rail. More than a fifth of the trips would not have been made at all.

“Practically speaking, that has to be putting more vehicle miles on the road,” author Regina Clewlow said.

Uber, meanwhile, said it’s here to stay, side-by-side with transit.

“We, along with global experts on this issue, believe that the future of urban transportation is going to be a mix of public transportation and ride-sharing,” Uber said in a statement.