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Incentivizing Commuters to Carpool: A Large Field Experiment with Waze

Author

Listed:
  • Maxime C. Cohen

    (Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3W 1X 4, Canada)

  • Michael-David Fiszer

    (Google/Waze, Tel Aviv 6789155, Israel)

  • Avia Ratzon

    (Google/Waze, Tel Aviv 6789155, Israel)

  • Roy Sasson

    (Google/Waze, Tel Aviv 6789155, Israel)

Abstract

Problem definition : Traffic congestion is a serious global issue. A potential solution, which requires zero investment in infrastructure, is to convince solo car users to carpool. Academic/practical relevance : In this paper, we leverage the Waze Carpool service and run the largest ever digital field experiment to nudge commuters to carpool. Methodology : Our field experiment involves more than half a million users across four U.S. states between June 10 and July 3, 2019. We identify users who can save a significant commute time by carpooling through the use of a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane, users who can still use an HOV lane but have a low time saving, and users who do not have access to an HOV lane on their commute. We send them in-app notifications with different framings: mentioning the HOV lane, highlighting the time saving, emphasizing the monetary welcome bonus (for users who do not have access to an HOV lane), and a generic carpool invitation. Results : We find a strong relationship between the affinity to carpool and the potential time saving through an HOV lane. Managerial implications : Specifically, we estimate that mentioning the HOV lane increases the click-through rate (i.e., proportion of users who clicked on the button inviting them to try the carpool service) and the onboarding rate (i.e., proportion of users who signed up and created an account with the carpool service) by 133%–185% and 64%–141%, respectively, relative to a generic invitation. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for carpool platforms and public policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Maxime C. Cohen & Michael-David Fiszer & Avia Ratzon & Roy Sasson, 2023. "Incentivizing Commuters to Carpool: A Large Field Experiment with Waze," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 25(4), pages 1263-1284, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormsom:v:25:y:2023:i:4:p:1263-1284
    DOI: 10.1287/msom.2021.1033
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Warut Khern-am-nuai & Hyunji So & Maxime C. Cohen & Yossiri Adulyasak, 2024. "Selecting Cover Images for Restaurant Reviews: AI vs. Wisdom of the Crowd," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 26(1), pages 330-349, January.
    2. Qiang Li & Ruomeng Cui & Huan Xu, 2026. "Environmental Responsibility: Impact of Waste-Sorting Regulation on Secondary Market," Service Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(1), pages 31-54, March.
    3. Wang, Yao & Monchambert, Guillaume, 2026. "Does subsidy increase the use of carpooling via platforms? The case of short-distance carpooling in France," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).

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