<p>The
launch of app-based for-hire vehicle (FHV) services like Uber and Lyft has led
to increased mobility options, but the associated increase in vehicular traffic
has also presented challenges. In New York City, the number of FHVs tripled between
2010 and 2019, to over one hundred thousand, due to the advent of such
companies. This study seeks to understand the impact this increase in FHV usage
has had on greenhouse gas emissions in New York City. The study uses data
collected by the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, which regulates the FHV and
taxi industries, and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, which publishes
the City’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory. The main result of the study is
that although the overall per-vehicle efficiency of the fleet has improved, the
high growth in registered vehicles has led to emissions from FHVs and taxis increasing
66 percent from 2010 to 2018. Electric vehicles present an opportunity for
emissions reductions in New York City’s FHV fleet if barriers to vehicle
adoption are adequately addressed and if adoption of EVs does not outpace
vehicle attrition. </p>