Just 3000 Ride-Share Vehicles Could Replace NYC's Whole Taxi Fleet

Two former allies of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie plan to appeal their conviction for intentionally causing traffic gridlock in Fort Lee during morning rush hour for a week in September 2013. Over the past five years, mobile tech has allowed companies like Uber, Lyft, and Juno to disrupt traditional travel with a new ride-hail industry worth billions. According to recent figures from the Massechusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a mere 3000 ride-pools could even handle the business of New York City's entire taxi fleet with hardly any delay--provided, of course, that riders are willing to share. A study by MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) revealed this week that ride-sharing platforms similar to UberPOOL and Lyft Line could handle the passenger traffic of NYC's 14,000 taxis with just a few thousand vehicles. In addition, the team says, such programs could help reduce congestion on city streets (if not its' sidewalks) by an impressive 300%.