World Environment Day: How Ridesharing Helps Our Planet

It has been debated whether ridesharing is good for the environment or not. Do rideshare companies create more traffic on the roads, or less? For the most part, if people are completing their normal travel routines through ridesharing, it will create less traffic.

One of the biggest problems in transportation nowadays is the increasing number of people driving alone, and congesting highways in their vehicles that are used only to get to and from work. The majority of the time, these vehicles are not being used and are sitting dormant in driveways and parking lots.

It would not be possible for homeowners to survive without their own vehicle if there were not alternative options available for them. Large cities such as New York City and San Francisco are examples of areas with a significant “carless” population. It is very easy to find an alternative method of transportation in these cities, such as taking the public transport, hailing a taxi, or requesting a rideshare.

Here are some ways ridesharing, specifically carpooling, is beneficial for our environment!

Reducing the Carbon Footprint

It’s no secret that putting more people in less vehicles makes for a more efficient environment.

More ridesharing and carpooling applications means less driving and lower carbon emissions. They make it easier for anyone to leave their car at home, or even survive without their own vehicle at all.

According to a study by Susan Shaheen, a professor specializing in transportation and ridesharing research, the average rideshare user of one particular rideshare service cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 10% through using the service.

Easing Congestion

One of the ways carpooling through uberPOOL and LyftLine helps the environment is that it eases congestion on the roads. The carpooling services offer lower prices that incentive people against car ownership. These services may be less expensive than having to own and maintain their own vehicle.

People are more likely to take public transportation if they know they can find a ride home through a ride service. This means that if commuters are taking the train to work, they do not have to worry about catching the train on the way home if they know they can get a rideshare instead.

Uber released data from uberPOOL that shows how millions of uberPOOL trips were taken, and thousands of users took trips as their commute more than five times each week. The impact of carpooling is huge - giving consumers the opportunity to help the environment while also personally save on transportation and vehicle ownership costs.

Felicia is an Ride Guru at Ride.Guru. She recently graduated from Bentley University with a B.S. in Marketing and minor in Computer Information Systems. She is an avid rideshare user who enjoys both domestic and international travel.