Andrew Salzberg, who oversees transportation policy and research for Uber, said about 33 percent of total Uber pickups started and ended in boroughs outside Manhattan.

Despite their appeal, the apps have faced a wave of criticism, including concerns over wheelchair accessibility and driver pay. Uber has also been rocked by a series of problems in recent weeks, prompting many users to delete its app. The company was accused of trying to profit during airport protests against President Trump’s first immigration order and criticized over sexual harassment claims by a former engineer. And accusations surfaced recently about a tool Uber was said to have used to deceive the authorities in several cities and countries.

Other cities have struggled to regulate the growth of ride-hailing services. Uber left Austin, Tex., last year after losing a ballot measure over regulations, but that was an exception — ride-hailing apps operate in over 300 communities, and some cities are actually partnering with the services. In Summit, N.J., officials began a commuter program offering free or discounted Uber rides to a New Jersey Transit station instead of building more parking.

Some transit officials view the apps as an ally in their efforts to persuade urban dwellers to resist car ownership. People who use Uber and Lyft often were more likely to use public transportation, according to a study last year by the American Public Transportation Association that examined seven cities, including Washington and Boston.

“We’ve seen that it’s been a symbiotic relationship between public transit and these tech-enabled services,” said Darnell Grisby, director of policy for the association.

But in New York, where fewer than half of residents have a car, people have long relied on public transit and yellow cabs, and many are using the apps to replace those transportation modes.

For William Prince, 31, who lives in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, price is all that matters. He uses whichever app is offering the best promotion, especially when the subway is unreliable. The F and G trains have been “kind of a nightmare” recently, he said. “Usually the cost benefit is it’s worth the money to avoid the hassle.”