How Ride-Hail Companies Can Help, Not Hurt, Cities

Dear Ride-Hailing Companies: As someone who has spent my career working on how to move people through cities, I have some advice about how to use your powers for good.

For ride-hailing companies, this is a time of reflection and strategic realignment. The two biggest U.S. players, Uber and Lyft, have gone public and are facing pressure to become profitable. This is looking harder when not just New York City but also Seattle and Los Angeles have recognized the full extent of the hardships faced by your drivers and are working to ensure they make a fair wage. On top of that, human drivers aren’t disappearing in favor of driverless cars as soon as some thought they would a few years ago. Even the federal government, which traditionally left for-hire regulation to local and, controversially, state governments, is now interested in setting some ground rules for you.