Picture this: It’s 20 minutes before you’re supposed to be at work and you haven’t yet left your house. You’re running a little behind, it’s raining and it’s also rush hour. Effffff.
You’d normally take public transit, but your commute averages about 25 minutes, so you’re hesitant to take the train or bus. You don’t want to be late, so you ask yourself the age-old question: Do I take an Uber/Lyft or a taxi?
At that time of the morning, between approximately 8 and 9 a.m., the rideshare services are almost guaranteed to be surging—and at high multipliers. So at what point do you throw in the towel and hop in a cab?
If you’re anything like me, you probably won’t request an Uber or Lyft with a surge multiplier higher than 1.4 times or 25 percent, respectively. Ever. Maybe I’m a cheapskate, but I try my best to ride the surge storm out. Granted, with the amount of time I spend waiting for the surge to end I’d probably be better off taking the bus. But there’s something satisfying about beating the surge and saving a few extra bucks.
In a Twitter poll conducted by RedEye on Thursday, which received 180 votes, only 7 percent of voters said they would be willing to request an Uber or Lyft above a surge multiplier of 2.1 times or Prime Time rate of 125 percent. Sounds about right. Sixty-one percent of the voters would accept surge rates between 1.2 times and 1.5 times or 25 percent and 50 percent.
So what if you can’t afford to roll into work late? Chances are you’ve wondered, at what surge multiplier is it actually cheaper to take a cab? Well, RedEye crunched the numbers.
To make things easier (on all of us), I chose starting points in three neighborhoods—Edgewater, Logan Square and Hyde Park—with a destination of Clark and Lake streets. The distances between the start and finish range between 6 and 8 miles, with a trip time of approximately 20 minutes by car. For the cab fare, I factored in a 20 percent tip and no extra passengers.
From Edgewater to Clark and Lake: UberX
Normal price: $14.80
1.2 times surge: $17.42
1.5 times surge: $21.35
2 times surge: $27.90
2.5 times surge: $34.45
From Edgewater to Clark and Lake: Lyft
Normal price: $15.63
25 percent Prime Time rate: $19.01
50 percent Prime Time rate: $22.39
100 percent Prime Time rate: $29.16
A cab would cost approximately $33.90. So at or below Uber’s 2.2 times surge multiplier ($30.52) and Lyft’s 100 percent Prime Time rate ($29.16), rideshare would be cheaper than a taxi.
Logan Square to Clark and Lake: UberX
Normal price: $12.80
1.5 times surge: $18.35
2 times surge: $23.90
2.5 times surge: $29.45
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Logan Square to Clark and Lake: Lyft
Normal price: $13.61.
25 percent Prime Time rate: $16.49
75 percent Prime Time rate: $22.24
125 percent Prime Time rate: $28.00.
A cab would cost approximately $28.10. If Uber’s surge multiplier is above 2.3 times ($27.23) or Lyft’s rate is above 100 percent ($25.12), it would be cheaper to take a cab.
From Hyde Park to Clark and Lake: UberX
Normal price: $14.60
1.4 times surge: $19.76
1.8 times surge: $24.92
2.4 times surge: $32.66
From Hyde Park to Clark and Lake: Lyft
Normal price: $15.41
50 percent Prime Time rate: $22.07
100 percent Prime Time rate: $28.72
125 percent Prime Time rate: $32.05
A cab would cost $33.50. This means you could request a rideshare at up to 2.4 times ($32.66) or 125 percent ($32.05) and still pay less than if you were to hail a taxi.
Bottom line, most trips taken below an Uber surge multiplier of 2 times or Lyft Prime Time rate of 100 percent would cost less than taking a cab. And if you find yourself faced with a surge above 2.5 times or 150 percent, you’re better off hailing a taxi.
*Prices may vary depending on rounding, your starting location, traffic patterns, number of passengers or other delays.
**Surge rates are calculated based on the subtotal of a fare. Service and city fees are added after the subtotal and were included with the total price.
@RianneCoale | [email protected]
The Transit Diaries runs in RedEye’s print edition every Tuesday on Page 4. If you have a story you’d like to share, email us at [email protected] with “Transit Diaries” in the subject line.