UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies

The recent rise of ride-hailing platforms such as Lyft and Uber calls into question many traditional paradigms in transportation planning. This is particularly evident in the realm of curb management, where ride-hailing trips may replace demand for vehicle parking with a need for short-term loading space. Traditionall y, cities have prioritized long-term vehicle occupancy over short-term loading, allocating most curb space for underpriced vehicle parking. The predominance of high-occupancy curb parking could deny ride-hailing vehicles access to the curb — encouraging them to double park — and may depress curb space’s capacity to transport passengers. A graduate capstone project at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs assessed whether allocating curb space for parking, rather than short-term passenger loading, on corridors with high ride-hailing activity is associated with increased illegal loading and decreased productivity of curb space.