THE SHORT-TERM SUBSTITUTABILITY BETWEEN RIDE-HAILING SERVICES AND THE NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY DURING AN EXOGENOUS SUBWAY SERVICE DISRUPTION

Abstract

This paper quantifies the short-term substitution between ride-hailing services and the New York City subway during an exogenous 3-hour disruption to a Manhattan segment of the subway lines. Using subway turnstile entry data along with trip-level ride-hailing data and taxi data in March 2018, I find that ride-hailing use increases dramatically during the period of subway service disruption. I also find evidence of their being substitutes outside of a disruption, albeit to a much smaller degree. In addition, point-to-point services experience a similar short-term substitution effect during a subway service disruption.