Ridesharing as a Complement to Transit (2012)

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5 chapter one IntroductIon overvIew Ridesharing as a Complement to Transit is a state-of-the- practice synthesis of public transit agencies that either oper- ate, or coordinate with others in the provision of, ridesharing services. Information was also gathered from a number of non- transit entities, such as councils of government (COGs), metro- politan planning organizations (MPOs), a department of trans- portation (DOT), and a transportation management association (TMA), all of which are involved in ridesharing services. The purpose of the synthesis is to aid public transit agencies and other entities in deciding how to enhance coordination between public transit and ridesharing. Both ridesharing and public transit have environmental benefits, such as reducing energy consumption and emissions—benefits that could be emphasized to reduce travel by the single-occupant automobile. Ridesharing is also an economical method of extending service into low-density areas not well suited for fixed-route public transit service. However, despite these benefits, the synthesis found that the number of public transit agencies involved in ridesharing is limited. Further, the perception remains that ridesharing takes passengers away from transit, according to a web-based survey of 41 agencies. Nonetheless, the synthesis uncovered examples of exemplary practices by public agen- cies illustrating how to better integrate ridesharing and public transit. It also includes recommendations for future studies to address perceptions and obstacles that persist in hindering the use of ridesharing as a complement to public transit. Methodology Data for this synthesis was collected in three ways, through a review of relevant literature; by means of an original web- based survey; and through interviews with survey respondents or others identified in the literature search, which were used to create short agency profiles. lIterature revIew The sources for this literature review were identified through a search of the Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS) database, online resources, and references in publica- tions. The majority of the literature was published after 1998. However, some documents, particularly those relating to the economics of using ridesharing in a public transit setting, date back to the 1970s. Although 26 documents were reviewed, few explicitly focused on the integration of ridesharing and transit. The existing research primarily includes case studies of specific programs run by transit agencies. Roughly half of the articles reviewed are about vanpool programs. Survey A web-based survey was used to gather data about ridesharing as a complement to transit. The survey was pre-tested by the technical panel overseeing the study, after which minor modifications were made. A single version of the survey was sent to a total of 49 agencies, of which 37 were transit agencies and 12 were non-transit agencies. These agencies were chosen because of their known involvement with ride- sharing and public transit, based on information gleaned from the literature review and contacts of the panelists and consul- tants. Each potential respondent was contacted by phone to encourage a high response rate. The response rate overall was 83.7%. Survey respondents were asked to identify themselves as either public transit agencies or non-transit agencies. Respon- dents from four known public transit agencies checked that they were non-transit agencies. One non-transit agency rep- resentative checked the box for a transit agency. These dis- crepancies may be attributed to the wording of the sentence, “Are you a transit system operator?” Also, the non-transit representative is a contractor for a transit agency. The known transit agency respondents may have been in a ridesharing division, where they did not consider themselves transit operators. However, it’s notable that they did not consider themselves aligned with transit, even though they worked in a department of the public transit agency. Nonetheless, in analyz- ing the survey, the results are reported true to the way those five respondents identified themselves. Therefore, the responses reflect 28 public transit agencies and 13 non-transit agencies. Survey questions were based on topics developed by the technical panel appointed for this project: • How does ridesharing integrate or interface with the transit system? • What was/is the reason(s) for including ridesharing in the mix of transit options? For example, regulations, gaps in services, market demand, environmental concerns, policy issues, financial incentives, etc.

6 • How is the agency organized for integrating ridesharing? • To what extent is ridesharing included in transit service planning? • How do you coordinate/collaborate with regional plan- ning entities? • What are the performance measures for cost/benefit, etc? • What are your coordination successes and/or challenges? • How does/will technology play a role in supporting the integration of ridesharing and transit, through trip- planning, social media, mobile apps, or other means? • What other strategies such as fare–media integration, marketing, loyalty programs, etc., play a role in the inte- gration of transit and ridesharing? It is important to note that when percentages or a number of survey responses are indicated in the question-by-question analysis, this refers to the percentage of responses to that survey question, rather than to the overall survey response rate. In other words, most questions reflect the response of the subset of respondents who answered that question. In addition, all answers to the survey are self-reported answers—that is, respondents supplied what they believed was the most appro- priate answer for their program. agency ProfIleS Chapters three through six each contain agency profiles that highlight successful or innovative approaches to integrating ridesharing into public transit. Profiles were selected based on material that emerged in the literature search or the survey. The ten profiles were primarily based on phone interviews or e-mail exchanges with staff at the highlighted agency. Some information was gleaned from websites and published articles beyond the documents in the literature review. organIzatIon of the rePort Following the Summary and this chapter one (Introduction), the report is organized into six topical chapters: Literature Review, Ridesharing within Transit Agencies, Ridesharing within Non-Transit Entities, Marketing and Technology, Tran- sit Agencies and Casual Carpooling, and Conclusions. The report contains four appendices: the Survey Questionnaire and Results (Appendix A), Profiles of Participating Transit and Non-Transit Agencies (Appendix B), Transit Modes Operated by Respondents (Appendix C), and Ridesharing Placement Within Agencies (Appendix D).