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The potential diversion of passengers from public transit to transportation network companies (TNCs) is attracting considerable attention in metropolitan regions. Despite this, relatively little microeconomic analysis has been made available to explore how service attributes affect choices between the services offered by TNCs and public transit. To fill this shortfall, this study evaluates prices and service levels for Lyft, Lyft Line, UberX, UberPool, and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) services in Chicago. Analysis of 3,075 fares and estimated travel times for 620 trips in the 4- to 11-mile range shows TNCs tend to be relatively costly when expressed in relation to the additional amount spent per unit of time saved. The average traveler using these four TNC services, across the entire sample, spends the equivalent of $42–$108 per hour saved—well above the $14.95/hr. the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) recommends assigning to the average transit passenger when conducting analyses about the value of time. However, for travelers on business and those between locations poorly served by transit, including trips between neighborhoods with less transit service than the downtown district, the analysis shows a significant share of passengers will likely find TNCs cost-effective options based on the U.S. DOT standard. The approach taken illustrates how the mobility benefits and competitive issues associated with TNCs can be systematically evaluated by reviewing the price and travel time characteristics of each trip.

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Characteristics of the corridors being considered by state and regional agencies for high-speed rail service (HSR) in the United States were surveyed. Through use of a data set of 21 systems at various stages of development, the study shows that initiatives under way involve 64 corridors, tracks of 21 freight railroads, and 15,552 unique mi of route. Findings show that these corridors reach 163 of the 250 largest metropolitan areas in the continental United States. More than 87% of the existing railroad mileage identified for high-speed service is operated by freight-oriented railroads, with 74% being single track. The choice of technology and the need to acquire nonrailroad land to support the development of corridors differ sharply between interstate and intrastate routes. These and other findings illustrate the many opportunities—and challenges—facing proponents of HSR throughout the country.