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Why Do They Ride with Others? Meta-Analysis of Factors Influencing Travelers to Carpool

Author

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  • Lars E. Olsson

    (CTF Service Research Center, and Department of Social and Psychological Studies, Karlstad University, SE-65188 Karlstad, Sweden)

  • Raphaela Maier

    (CTF Service Research Center, and Department of Social and Psychological Studies, Karlstad University, SE-65188 Karlstad, Sweden)

  • Margareta Friman

    (CTF Service Research Center, and Department of Social and Psychological Studies, Karlstad University, SE-65188 Karlstad, Sweden)

Abstract

Carpooling can be viewed as a simple intervention to reduce congestion, environmental problems, and land use for parking spaces. The present study assembled 18 studies on carpooling from all over the world that were published during the last five years (2014–2018) for a meta-analysis. By calculating effect sizes of 20 different factors, the study aimed to understand user characteristics, motives, and barriers to carpooling, and to gain insights about carpool interventions. Our results indicate that carpooling is very weakly related to socio-demographic variables, and that psychological factors are becoming more important, including monetary and time benefits, reducing congestion, and environmental concerns. Policy-makers can increase carpooling by offering cheaper parking or special parking spaces for carpoolers and introducing high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Not surprisingly, fuel prices influence mode choice. The overall findings support previous results, but we found judgmental factors becoming more important for the choice to carpool. We conclude that carpooling services still fail to include many potential users and to serve users adequately. The challenge of meeting the needs of all users requires new approaches to designing carpool concepts, systems, and encounters.

Suggested Citation

  • Lars E. Olsson & Raphaela Maier & Margareta Friman, 2019. "Why Do They Ride with Others? Meta-Analysis of Factors Influencing Travelers to Carpool," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-16, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:8:p:2414-:d:225359
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    1. José Alberto Molina & J. Ignacio Giménez-Nadal & Jorge Velilla, 2020. "Sustainable Commuting: Results from a Social Approach and International Evidence on Carpooling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-12, November.
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    3. Pedro Hinojo & David Suárez & Begoña García-Mariñoso, 2022. "Drivers of Consumer Participation in Online Second-Hand Transactions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-13, April.
    4. Saxena, Aditya & Gupta, Vallary, 2023. "Carpooling: Who is closest to adopting it? An investigation into the potential car-poolers among private vehicle users: A case of a developing country, India," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 11-20.
    5. Leonidas G. Anthopoulos & Dimitrios N. Tzimos, 2021. "Carpooling Platforms as Smart City Projects: A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-29, September.
    6. Zinette Bergman, 2019. "Trains in the Land of the Car: A Case Study of Mobility as Agency in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-12, November.
    7. Ricardo Tomás & Paulo Fernandes & Joaquim Macedo & Margarida Cabrita Coelho, 2021. "Carpooling as an Immediate Strategy to Post-Lockdown Mobility: A Case Study in University Campuses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-22, May.
    8. Tzu-Ying Chen & Rong-Chang Jou & Yi-Chang Chiu, 2021. "Using the Multilevel Random Effect Model to Analyze the Behavior of Carpool Users in Different Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-13, January.
    9. Quirós, Cipriano & Portela, Javier & Marín, Raquel, 2021. "Differentiated models in the collaborative transport economy: A mixture analysis for Blablacar and Uber," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    10. Eva Malichová & Ghadir Pourhashem & Tatiana Kováčiková & Martin Hudák, 2020. "Users’ Perception of Value of Travel Time and Value of Ridesharing Impacts on Europeans’ Ridesharing Participation Intention: A Case Study Based on MoTiV European-Wide Mobility and Behavioral Pattern ," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-19, May.
    11. Lei Wang & Wenxiang Li & Jinxian Weng & Dong Zhang & Wanjing Ma, 2023. "Do low-carbon rewards incentivize people to ridesplitting? Evidence from structural analysis," Transportation, Springer, vol. 50(5), pages 2077-2109, October.
    12. Rossetti, Tomás & Broaddus, Andrea & Ruhl, Melissa & Daziano, Ricardo, 2023. "Commuter preferences for a first-mile/last-mile microtransit service in the United States," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    13. Anne Aguiléra & Eléonore Pigalle, 2021. "The Future and Sustainability of Carpooling Practices. An Identification of Research Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-16, October.
    14. Érika Martins Silva Ramos & Cecilia Jakobsson Bergstad, 2021. "The Psychology of Sharing: Multigroup Analysis among Users and Non-Users of Carsharing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-17, June.
    15. Lambros Mitropoulos & Annie Kortsari & Emy Apostolopoulou & Georgia Ayfantopoulou & Alexandros Deloukas, 2023. "Multimodal Traveling with Rail and Ride-Sharing: Lessons Learned during Planning and Demonstrating a Pilot Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-21, September.
    16. Wang, Bing & Li, Shuai & Wang, Qi & Lin, Zhenhong, 2020. "Understanding travelers’ mobility decisions in response to customer incentives," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 113-120.
    17. Anfeng Xu & Jiming Chen & Zihui Liu, 2021. "Exploring the Effects of Carpooling on Travelers’ Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Metropolitan City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-19, October.
    18. Michał Baran & Duszan Józef Augustyn, 2021. "The Evaluation of Transport Exclusion in the Peripheral Cross-Border Areas of Central Europe in the Context of Applicability of Information-Based Carpooling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-21, March.
    19. Margareta Friman & Katrin Lättman & Lars E. Olsson, 2020. "Carpoolers’ Perceived Accessibility of Carpooling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-13, October.
    20. Lambros Mitropoulos & Annie Kortsari & Georgia Ayfantopoulou, 2021. "Factors Affecting Drivers to Participate in a Carpooling to Public Transport Service," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-17, August.
    21. Robert Rijavec & Nima Dadashzadeh & Marijan Žura & Rok Marsetič, 2020. "Park and Pool Lots’ Impact on Promoting Shared Mobility and Carpooling on Highways: The Case of Slovenia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-19, April.

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