Use of ride-hailing, like Uber and Lyft, has exploded since it was first introduced a decade ago, and continues to grow. These services are becoming a significant percentage of miles driven in some urban cores, raising concerns about congestion impacts, rising climate emissions, and impacts on transit systems. Addressing these challenges will be critical to ensuring that ride-hailing contributes to a more sustainable, equitable, and low-carbon transportation system that is so critically needed. In this blog series, I will tackle just one these challenges – pollution from ride-hailing – and focus on one critical strategy for getting ride-hailing on a lower carbon path – electrified rides.

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Proposition D is a chance for ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft to contribute to a better transportation system in San Francisco.  We at the Union of Concerned Scientists are supporting Proposition D, together with a long list of other supporters, including Uber and Lyft themselves, Mayor London Breed, the entire San Francisco Board of Supervisors, 25 other elected leaders, the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board, and 26 organizations committed to transit riders, bicycling and walking, tenants, and retirees, among other interests.

Read on for more information about what Proposition D will do and why this measure is important for reducing traffic and pollution and increasing safety and clean transportation choices. Most importantly, don’t forget to turn in your ballot by November 5, and to vote YES on Proposition D.

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