Chapter 3 - Mobility on demand (MOD) and mobility as a service (MaaS): early understanding of shared mobility impacts and public transit partnerships

Technology is changing the way we move and reshaping cities and society. Shared and on-demand mobility represent notable transportation shifts in the 21st century. In recent years, mobility on demand (MOD)—where consumers access mobility, goods, and services on-demand by dispatching shared modes, courier services, public transport, and other innovative strategies—has grown rapidly due to technological advancements; changing consumer preferences; and a range of economic, environmental, and social factors. New attitudes toward sharing, MOD, and mobility as a service (MaaS) are changing traveler behavior and creating new opportunities and challenges for public transportation. This chapter discusses similarities and differences between the evolving concepts of MaaS and MOD. Next, it characterizes the range of existing public transit and MOD service models and enabling partnerships. The chapter also explores emerging trends impacting public transportation. While vehicle automation could result in greater public transit competition in the future, it could also foster new opportunities for transit enhancements (e.g., microtransit services, first- and last-mile connections, reduced operating costs). The chapter concludes with a discussion of how MOD/MaaS partnerships and automation could enable the public transit industry to reinvent itself, making it more attractive and competitive with private vehicle ownership and use

Testing the Validity of the MIP Approach for Locating Carsharing Stations in One-way Systems

The most relevant problem to manage one-way carsharing systems is the vehicle stock imbalance across the stations. Previous research proposed a mathematical model for choosing the stations’ location as an approach to solve it. However, it does not allow including relocation operations and trip uncertainty. In this paper we develop a simulation model that considers demand variability and one vehicle relocation policy and test the solutions provided by the previous MIP model. We have concluded that these factors influence significantly the company profit and should be considered in future research in one-way carsharing systems planning

A review of the socio-demographic characteristics affecting the demand for different car-sharing operational schemes

In this paper, socio-demographic factors influencing the demand for different car-sharing forms are examined. An in-depth review of such factors is provided based on the type of shared car service, geographic area, and specific travel demand aspect being considered. Conclusions highlight the differences between car sharing operational schemes. The number of males, young individuals, and people with above-average income among free-floating members is higher than in other car-sharing services. Also, although round-trip car-sharing users appear to be less educated than other car-sharing services users, car-sharing members may follow a more efficient and sustainable lifestyle than the one-way shared car system members. Besides, some suggestions are recommended for future studies. A research gap has been identified regarding the direction of causation between vehicle ownership levels and car-sharing demand. Most studies have worked on the impact of vehicle ownership on car-sharing or simply noted a correlation between the two. However, clarifying any reverse effect would help in better assessing the sustainability of car-sharing services. This overview can guide policymakers, planners, and other stakeholders to enhance the car-sharing program's effectiveness and opt for the best kind of service according to their goals

Contributions to sustainable urban transport : decision support for alternative mobility and logistics concepts

Increasing transport activities in cities are a substantial driver for congestion and pollution, influencing urban populations’ health and quality of life. These effects are consequences of ongoing urbanization in combination with rising individual demand for mobility, goods, and services. With the goal of increased environmental sustainability in urban areas, city authorities and politics aim for reduced traffic and minimized transport emissions. To support more efficient and sustainable urban transport, this cumulative dissertation focuses on alternative transport concepts. For this purpose, scientific methods and models of the interdisciplinary information systems domain combined with elements of operations research, transportation, and logistics are developed and investigated in multiple research contributions. Different transport concepts are examined in terms of optimization and acceptance to provide decision support for relevant stakeholders. In more detail, the overarching topic of urban transport in this dissertation is divided into the complexes urban mobility (part A) in terms of passenger transport and urban logistics (part B) with a focus on the delivery of goods and services. Within part A, approaches to carsharing optimization are presented at various planning levels. Furthermore, the user acceptance of ridepooling is investigated. Part B outlines several optimization models for alternative urban parcel and e-grocery delivery concepts by proposing different network structures and transport vehicles. Conducted surveys on intentional use of urban logistics concepts give valuable hints to providers and decision makers. The introduced approaches with their corresponding results provide target-oriented support to facilitate decision making based on quantitative data. Due to the continuous growth of urban transport, the relevance of decision support in this regard, but also the understanding of the key drivers for people to use certain services will further increase in the future. By providing decision support for urban mobility as well as urban logistics concepts, this dissertation contributes to enhanced economic, social, and environmental sustainability in urban areas

Exploring Carsharing Diffusion Challenges through Systems Thinking and Causal Loop Diagrams

The diffusion of carsharing in cities can potentially support the transition towards a sustainable mobility system and help build a circular economy. Since urban transportation is a complex system due to the involvement of various stakeholders, including travelers, suppliers, manufacturers, and the government, a holistic approach based on systems thinking is essential to capture this complexity and its causalities. In this regard, the current research aims at identifying cause-and-effect relationships in the diffusion of carsharing services within the urban transport systems. To do so, a causal loop diagram (CLD) is developed to identify and capture the causalities of carsharing adoption. On this basis, the main four players within the carsharing domain in urban transportation were scrutinized and their causes and effects were visualized, including (i) the characteristics, behavior, and dynamics of the society population; (ii) transportation system and urban planning; (iii) the car manufacturing industry; and (iv) environmental pollution. The developed CLD can support decision-makers in the field of urban transport to gain a holistic and systemic approach to analyzing the issues within the transport sector due to their complexity. Moreover, they can help regulators and policymakers in intensifying the diffusion of more sustainable modes of transport by highlighting the role of population, car manufacturing, the transportation system, and environmental pollution

Disruptive Transportation: The Adoption, Utilization, and Impacts of Ride-Hailing in the United States

The rapid adoption of ride-hailing poses significant challenges for transportation researchers, policymakers, and planners, as there is limited information and data about how these services affect transportation decisions and travel patterns. Given the long-range business, policy, and planning decisions that are required to support transportation infrastructure (including public transit, roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks), there is an urgent need to collect data on the adoption of these new services, and in particular their potential impacts on travel choices. This paper presents findings from a comprehensive travel and residential survey deployed in seven major U.S. cities, in two phases from 2014 to 2016, with a targeted, representative sample of their urban and suburban populations. The purpose of this report is to provide early insight on the adoption of, use, and travel behavior impacts of ride-hailing

Modeling spatio-temporal diffusion of carsharing membership in Québec City

Abstract During the last few years, car sharing has undergone significant growth, both in Canada and around the world. In this type of service, users share access to a fleet of vehicles, thereby giving them most of the advantages of automobile use, such as its temporal and spatial flexibility, without many of the constraints of ownership. This study analyzes the geographical and socio-economic factors that favour membership of a carsharing service in Québec City. We combined Cervero’s and Kockelman’s 5D model (density, diversity, design, distance to transit, and destination accessibility) with Hägerstrand’s concept of innovation diffusion so as to analyze the evolution of potential car-sharing membership. Zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression was used to model the spatial diffusion of the number of car-sharing members in Québec City from 1996 (two years after its inauguration) to 2008 at the local scale, with an annual time step. Results indicate that the carsharing distribution did, indeed, follow Hägerstrand’s innovation diffusion model and that, even though some of the 5D model significantly influenced membership, it was socio-economic factors (education, non-motorization, and family structure) that most greatly affected the membership rate in the service area. The model is used to assess and discuss market coverage potential in Québec City. Keywords: carsharing, sustainable mobility, Hägerstrand’s innovation diffusion model, 5D model, spatiotemporal modelin

Substitution and complementarity patterns between traditional transport means and car sharing: a person and trip level analysis

Car sharing is a new transport mode which combines characteristics of private and collective traditional transport means. Understanding the relationship of this mode with existing ones is very important for policy makers to create an efficient transport system and to properly address public resources. This paper aims to analyze the interaction of car sharing with the existing offer of competing modes, using data from a specific travel survey administered in the city of Turin, where both free-floating and one-way station based car sharing services are offered. All transport modes operating in the study area were considered. Bivariate models were estimated to study the propensity to have a car sharing subscription and the substitution patterns between different travel means for a representative random sample of trips taken by the Turin population. Results show that the current car sharing system is perceived as efficient and useful; car sharing members are young males, living in high-income and low-size household with, in particular, a high number of workers and low number of available cars; moreover, the presence of private parking near home has a strong negative impact. There is evidence that car sharing can substitute car driving trips, while the evidence that the same can happen with biking and walking trips is not supported by models but only marginally seen from descriptive statistics. There is also some complementarity between car sharing and public transport and a strong complementarity between car sharing and bike sharing, so that policy makers should jointly promote those modes