Every city has its busy times and times when things are slow. New York City is no exception. In the summer, the city empties out as people head off on vacation. In the fall, it’s full of tourists doing their holiday shopping. And by January, once the sales have finished, things tend to quiet down again. Whatever a city’s seasonality, the down times can be tough for drivers.
So today we’re cutting uberX rates by 15%. With prices lower than a New York City taxi,* Uber is now more affordable and accessible for residents across the five boroughs. The last time we reduced rates, uberX trips in the outer boroughs more than doubled, and today a third of all trips begin in the outer boroughs.
Drivers will feel the benefits of lower prices too—because when demand increases there’s less idle time between for trips, and that means more time with a rider in the car.
It’s a model that works. In 2012, uberX partners spent on average 16 minutes of every hour with a rider on a trip. Today—18 months after our July 2014 price decrease—that time has doubled to 32 minutes. This means higher hourly earnings for drivers. For example when we cut prices in July 2014, the average idle time fell by 42% and average hourly partner earnings increased by 33%.
And if drivers aren’t busier as a result of these reductions, prices will go back up again. In addition, to ensure that drivers are not disadvantaged, we are guaranteeing earnings for drivers. That’s 24/7 incentives to put drivers at ease.
No matter where you’re headed this year, we hope you’ll let us take you there. Our goal for 2016 is simple: a better, smarter way of getting from A to B that saves riders money and increases earnings for drivers.
“Every day I have a goal, and this price cut will help to meet that.”
– Wencel, uberX and UberBLACK partner since September 2013
“The price cuts needed to happen. And when they did, demand grew tremendously. Everywhere I went I got a rider—Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens. That didn’t happen before.”
– Samuel, uberX and UberBLACK partner since April 2014
“This will definitely help. It’s a good thing … In the summer of 2014 I was preparing to be slow and I wasn’t. Whatever happened worked the first time.”
– Lance, uberX and UberBLACK partner since June 2013
EXAMPLE FARES
Midtown to LGA
$37.12
Old uberX: $43.67**
Chelsea to East Village
$11.20
Old uberX: $13.18**
Williamsburg to Bushwick
$8.40
Old uberX: $9.90**
Astoria to Long Island City
$10.29
Old uberX: $12.09**
See these new rates in action by running a fare estimate for your most common ride.
Looking to ride for even less? With these new rates, uberPOOL, our carpool option, is now up to 35% cheaper than a New York City taxi.* uberPOOL matches you with riders headed in the same direction. It’s always the cheapest way to Uber, and only adds a few minutes to your trip. Here’s how it works.
*Based on a comparison between 2016 published taxi fares and uberX fares from New York City. Taxi estimates include a 20% gratuity.
** Surge will still apply to discount average fares during times of high demand. Minimum $7 fare on uberX rides.