Driverless Cars

At present, there are 240 million cars and light trucks in the USA, most of which are parked 23 hours a day or more. This idleness makes owning and driving a car expensive. If cars could just be used more, automobile transportation costs would fall. That is the promise of Uber, Lyft and all the other assorted ride-hailing services. But, what about the next step, driverless cars? With no driver to pay, travel becomes even cheaper. What does the promise of cheaper transportation mean for cities, commutes, sprawl, and more generally how we live? I suggest it will encourage sprawl by increasing the distance of our commutes. Here’s why: