*Arthur Rizer and Joe Kane were co-authors of this study.

While the fight for the legalization of ridesharing in the United States is largely over, a number of policy challenges remain. Hastily constructed legal frameworks from the early days of ridesharing need to be updated, new technologies like highly autonomous vehicles and blockchain-based apps pose novel regulatory challenges, and the maturing market raises the stakes on labor discussions and debates over how transportation network companies integrate into cities. This paper explores these and other issues related to future policy challenges for TNCs.

Top Points:

As they revisit existing TNC legal frameworks, policymakers should seek to roll back structural barriers to entry and overly prescriptive rules on issues that private companies are better suited to address. Policymakers should seek to address congestion holistically and not make ridesharing a scapegoat. Policymakers should also recognize the ways in which ridesharing presents both challenges and solutions to future of work issues. When it comes to new technologies, like HAVs, governments should embrace flexible standards that promote their creation and adoption. They should recognize the data security and privacy issues inherent in TNC operation. And finally, they should undo gratuitous fees and licensing models that could enshrine legacy business models.

Map graphic by R Street. Licensed for sharing under Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0 US) [1]. Top image credit: Tero Vesalainen [2].