Author says Uber and Lyft reshaped San Francisco transit; Waymo economics remain unclear

At the Commonwealth Club event, Jonathan Weber described how ride-hailing services changed San Francisco's transportation market and public infrastructure.

Weber said Uber and Lyft initially succeeded because taxi service in the city had been unreliable; they "filled the gap" by subsidizing fares with venture capital and undercutting traditional taxis. He said that model pushed many taxis out of the market and that fares later rose once the subsidy phase ended. Weber also noted the unclear economics of autonomous services, saying, "Nobody really knows what the economics of Waymo are, like, how much do the cars cost and how much they really have to charge to make money." The discussion focused on the services'market effects rather than on specific regulatory prescriptions.

Weber criticized the city's reactive posture in regulating ride-hailing and suggested more proactive coordination might have better integrated these services into public transit goals. The remarks were framed as reporting and analysis rather than policy proposals.