IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/trapol/v51y2016icp158-164.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Carsharing and sustainable travel behavior: Results from the San Francisco Bay Area

Author

Listed:
  • Clewlow, Regina R.

Abstract

Over the past decade, carsharing has grown considerably in the United States, particularly in major metropolitan areas. This innovative business model offers individuals the opportunity to rent cars by the hour, providing them with greater flexibility for their mobility. Previous work on carsharing suggests that its adoption leads to a decline in household vehicle ownership, vehicle miles traveled, and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Utilizing representative data from the 2010–2012 California Household Travel Survey, this paper presents an analysis of travel behavior and vehicle ownership among carshare members versus non-members in the San Francisco Bay Area, focusing on a subsample of the population with access to carsharing at the U.S. census tract level. Consistent with previous findings on vehicle reduction, these results show that carsharing members own significantly fewer vehicles than non-members. However, lower levels of vehicle ownership are only found among households living in urban areas. In dense, urban neighborhoods, households with carsharing membership own 0.58 vehicles per household as compared with 0.96 vehicles of a control group. Suburban carshare members drive less than their non-carshare member counterparts – although the extent to which this difference can be attributed to self-selection it is unknown. This study also finds that among carsharing households that do own vehicles, a greater share of those vehicles are alternative vehicles (e.g., hybrid, plug-in hybrid electric, and battery electric). Among vehicles owned by the subsample examined in this study, electric drive vehicles represent 18.3% of those owned by carshare member households, as compared with 10.2% of the vehicles owned by non-carsharing households. This analysis finds that not only are urban carshare members likely to own fewer vehicles than the rest of the population, if they do own vehicles, they are more likely to own a vehicle with a smaller environmental footprint.

Suggested Citation

  • Clewlow, Regina R., 2016. "Carsharing and sustainable travel behavior: Results from the San Francisco Bay Area," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 158-164.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:51:y:2016:i:c:p:158-164
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2016.01.013
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X16000056
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tranpol.2016.01.013?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Green, Erin H. & Skerlos, Steven J. & Winebrake, James J., 2014. "Increasing electric vehicle policy efficiency and effectiveness by reducing mainstream market bias," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 562-566.
    2. Cervero, R. & Duncan, M., 2003. "Walking, Bicycling, and Urban Landscapes: Evidence from the San Francisco Bay Area," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(9), pages 1478-1483.
    3. Crane, Randall & Crepeau, Richard, 1998. "Does Neighborhood Design Influence Travel?: Behavioral Analysis of Travel Diary and GIS Data," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt4pj4s7t8, University of California Transportation Center.
    4. Axsen, Jonn & Mountain, Dean C. & Jaccard, Mark, 2009. "Combining stated and revealed choice research to simulate the neighbor effect: The case of hybrid-electric vehicles," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt02n9j6cv, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    5. Stillwater, Tai & Mokhtarian, Patricia L & Shaheen, Susan A, 2009. "Carsharing and the Built Environment: Geographic- Information System-Based Study of One U.S Operator," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt6dw9d79z, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    6. Axsen, Jonn & Mountain, Dean C. & Jaccard, Mark, 2009. "Combining stated and revealed choice research to simulate the neighbor effect: The case of hybrid-electric vehicles," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 221-238, August.
    7. Crane, Randall, 1998. "Travel By Design?," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt3pc4v6jj, University of California Transportation Center.
    8. Cervero, Robert & Duncan, Michael, 2003. "Walking, Bicycling, and Urban Landscapes: Evidence from the San Francisco Bay Area," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt6zr1x95m, University of California Transportation Center.
    9. Martin, Elliot & Shaheen, Susan, 2011. "The Impact of Carsharing on Public Transit and Non-Motorized Travel: An Exploration of North American Carsharing Survey Data," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt6xt6d5jv, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    10. Martin, Elliot W & Shaheen, Susan A, 2011. "Greenhouse Gas Emission Impacts of Carsharing in North America," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt6wr90040, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    11. Elliot Martin & Susan Shaheen, 2011. "The Impact of Carsharing on Public Transit and Non-Motorized Travel: An Exploration of North American Carsharing Survey Data," Energies, MDPI, vol. 4(11), pages 1-21, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xinyu Cao & Patricia L. Mokhtarian, 2012. "The connections among accessibility, self- selection and walking behaviour: a case study of Northern California residents," Chapters, in: Karst T. Geurs & Kevin J. Krizek & Aura Reggiani (ed.), Accessibility Analysis and Transport Planning, chapter 5, pages 73-95, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Rotaris, Lucia & Danielis, Romeo & Maltese, Ila, 2019. "Carsharing use by college students: The case of Milan and Rome," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 239-251.
    3. Cao, Xinyu & Mokhtarian, Patricia L. & Handy, Susan L., 2007. "Residential and Travel Choices of Elderly Residents of Northern California," 48th Annual Transportation Research Forum, Boston, Massachusetts, March 15-17, 2007 207925, Transportation Research Forum.
    4. Ji, Shujuan & Wang, Xin & Lyu, Tao & Liu, Xiaojie & Wang, Yuanqing & Heinen, Eva & Sun, Zhenwei, 2022. "Understanding cycling distance according to the prediction of the XGBoost and the interpretation of SHAP: A non-linear and interaction effect analysis," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    5. Cao, Xinyu (Jason) & Xu, Zhiyi & Fan, Yingling, 2010. "Exploring the connections among residential location, self-selection, and driving: Propensity score matching with multiple treatments," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 44(10), pages 797-805, December.
    6. Ann Forsyth & Mary Hearst & J. Michael Oakes & Kathryn H. Schmitz, 2008. "Design and Destinations: Factors Influencing Walking and Total Physical Activity," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 45(9), pages 1973-1996, August.
    7. Mokhtarian, Patricia L. & Cao, Xinyu, 2008. "Examining the impacts of residential self-selection on travel behavior: A focus on methodologies," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 204-228, March.
    8. Mishra, Gouri Shankar & Clewlow, Regina R. & Mokhtarian, Patricia L. & Widaman, Keith F., 2015. "The effect of carsharing on vehicle holdings and travel behavior: A propensity score and causal mediation analysis of the San Francisco Bay Area," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 46-55.
    9. Zhao, Chunli & Nielsen, Thomas Alexander Sick & Olafsson, Anton Stahl & Carstensen, Trine Agervig & Meng, Xiaoying, 2018. "Urban form, demographic and socio-economic correlates of walking, cycling, and e-biking: Evidence from eight neighborhoods in Beijing," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 102-112.
    10. Kent, Jennifer L. & Dowling, Robyn, 2013. "Puncturing automobility? Carsharing practices," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 86-92.
    11. Schmidt, Swantje C. & Sleddens, Ester F.C. & de Vries, Sanne I. & Gubbels, Jessica & Thijs, Carel, 2015. "Longitudinal association of neighborhood variables with Body Mass Index in Dutch school-age children: The KOALA Birth Cohort Study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 99-108.
    12. Lee, Yongsung & Guhathakurta, Subhrajit, 2018. "An analysis of the effects of suburban densification on vehicle use for shopping: Do existing residents respond to land-use changes in the same way as recent movers?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 193-204.
    13. Greg Rybarczyk & Changshan Wu, 2014. "Examining the Impact of Urban Morphology on Bicycle Mode Choice," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 41(2), pages 272-288, April.
    14. Su, Qing & Zhou, Liren, 2012. "Parking management, financial subsidies to alternatives to drive alone and commute mode choices in Seattle," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(1-2), pages 88-97.
    15. Cao, Xinyu (Jason) & Mokhtarian, Patricia L. & Handy, Susan L., 2009. "The relationship between the built environment and nonwork travel: A case study of Northern California," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 43(5), pages 548-559, June.
    16. Qian Duan & Xin Ye & Jian Li & Ke Wang, 2020. "Empirical Modeling Analysis of Potential Commute Demand for Carsharing in Shanghai, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, January.
    17. Irfan Ullah & Kai Liu & Tran Vanduy, 2019. "Examining Travelers’ Acceptance towards Car Sharing Systems—Peshawar City, Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-16, February.
    18. Silm, Siiri & Tominga, Ago & Saidla, Karl & Poom, Age & Tammaru, Tiit, 2024. "Socio-economic and residential differences in urban modality styles based on a long-term smartphone experiment," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    19. Shaheen, Susan A PhD & Cohen, Adam P, 2012. "Carsharing and Personal Vehicle Services: Worldwide Market Developments and Emerging Trends," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt7fh4w0q5, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    20. Pan, Alexandra Q. & Martin, Elliot W. & Shaheen, Susan A., 2022. "Is access enough? A spatial and demographic analysis of one-way carsharing policies and practice," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 103-115.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:51:y:2016:i:c:p:158-164. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30473/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.