May 09 Watch 8:48 Ahead of its IPO, Uber still faces questions about culture and business viability When ride-sharing pioneer Uber goes public Friday, it will be the largest public stock offering in the U.S. since 2014. But the company, its business model and how it pays its drivers remain controversial. William Brangham asks Farhad Manjoo of… Continue watching
May 08 Why is your Uber or Lyft stuck in traffic? Most likely because of Uber and Lyft By Vicky Stein The average American spends 26.4 minutes commuting to work. Traffic is getting worse, and it may be due to ride-hailing apps. Continue reading
May 07 Why Uber and Lyft drivers are going on strike By Gretchen Frazee Drivers planned to log off Uber, Lyft, Juno and Via during morning rush hour in cities across the country to protest what they say are unfair wages. Continue reading
May 02 Watch 8:37 How data drives Uber’s efficient but controversial business model By Paul Solman With a presence in 65 countries, ride-sharing company Uber has conducted about 10 billion trips in its lifetime -- about 15 million per day. Paul Solman looks at how economists are using this treasure trove of data. Continue watching
Apr 11 Watch 3:20 Terrence Davenport on why the gig economy doesn’t work in his town By Steve Goldbloom The gig economy has created many opportunities for securing temporary work with companies like Uber and Taskrabbit. But despite the increased flexibility short-term employment provides, it doesn't pay off for everyone. Social entrepreneur Terrence Davenport, who coaches low-income clients on… Continue watching
Mar 19 Lyft and Uber’s plans to go public, explained By Thomas Maxwell In recent months, Lyft and Uber have been offering steep discounts to their customers in an attempt to corner more of the market before they go public. Continue reading
Mar 01 Why Lyft’s offer of cash and stock may not benefit most drivers By Gretchen Frazee Lyft drivers who have completed between 10,000 and 20,000 rides will receive a bonus of $1,000 with the option of using the money to purchase company stock. Continue reading
Nov 15 The electric scooter market is zooming. Will profits catch up? By Gretchen Frazee Bird, the first of the major electric scooter companies to launch in the U.S., is valued at $2 billion, despite data that shows it likely is not making any money, yet. Continue reading
Aug 19 Watch 10:21 Will regulation of rideshare apps leave passengers stranded? By Hari Sreenivasan, Laura Fong In New York City, an influx of vehicles using rideshare apps like Uber has caused the value of the city's taxi medallions to plummet, along with drivers' wages. This month, New York became the first U.S. city to regulate rideshare… Continue watching
May 24 Self-driving Uber SUV that killed a woman had emergency brake disabled, report says By Tom Krisher, Associated Press In a preliminary report on the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that emergency braking is not enabled while Uber's cars are under computer control, "to reduce the potential for erratic vehicle behavior."… Continue reading