Ridesourcing regulation and traffic speeds: A New York case

Since 2019, New York City has enacted laws restricting ridesourcing services. This study investigates these regulations' impact on traffic using street-level speed records. We used a regression discontinuity design to compare weekly traffic speeds immediately before and after regulations. We find that the for-hire-vehicle driver application freeze, implemented in April 2019, significantly boosted street speeds in the immediate run. The effect varied widely across boroughs, road types, and built environment characteristics. Further evidence suggests a post-policy reduction in ridesourcing supply, indicating that the policy primarily impacted ridesourcing companies' scale and operations. However, the speed improvement appears to be temporary. Our findings offer valuable insights for crafting regulations targeting new urban mobility forms.