IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/arx/papers/2204.01974.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Microtransit adoption in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from a choice experiment with transit and car commuters

Author

Listed:
  • Jason Soria
  • Shelly Etzioni
  • Yoram Shiftan
  • Amanda Stathopoulos
  • Eran Ben-Elia

Abstract

On-demand mobility platforms play an increasingly important role in urban mobility systems. Impacts are still debated, as these platforms supply personalized and optimized services, while also contributing to existing sustainability challenges. Recently, microtransit services have emerged, promising to combine advantages of pooled on-demand rides with more sustainable fixed-route public transit services. Understanding traveler behavior becomes a primary focus to analyze adoption likelihood and perceptions of different microtransit attributes. The COVID-19 pandemic context adds an additional layer of complexity to analyzing mobility innovation acceptance. This study investigates the potential demand for microtransit options against the background of the pandemic. We use a stated choice experiment to study the decision-making of Israeli public transit and car commuters when offered to use novel microtransit options (sedan vs. passenger van). We investigate the tradeoffs related to traditional fare and travel time attributes, along with microtransit features; namely walking time to pickup location, vehicle sharing, waiting time, minimum advanced reservation time, and shelter at designated boarding locations. Additionally, we analyze two latent constructs: attitudes towards sharing, as well as experiences and risk-perceptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We develop Integrated Choice and Latent Variable models to compare the two commuter groups in terms of the likelihood to switch to microtransit, attribute trade-offs, sharing preferences and pandemic impacts. The results reveal high elasticities of several time and COVID effects for car commuters compared to relative insensitivity of transit commuters to the risk of COVID contraction. Moreover, for car commuters, those with strong sharing identities were more likely to be comfortable in COVID risk situations, and to accept microtransit.

Suggested Citation

  • Jason Soria & Shelly Etzioni & Yoram Shiftan & Amanda Stathopoulos & Eran Ben-Elia, 2022. "Microtransit adoption in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from a choice experiment with transit and car commuters," Papers 2204.01974, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2204.01974
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://arxiv.org/pdf/2204.01974
    File Function: Latest version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Clewlow, Regina R. & Mishra, Gouri S., 2017. "Disruptive Transportation: The Adoption, Utilization, and Impacts of Ride-Hailing in the United States," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt82w2z91j, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    2. Das, Sanhita & Boruah, Alice & Banerjee, Arunabha & Raoniar, Rahul & Nama, Suresh & Maurya, Akhilesh Kumar, 2021. "Impact of COVID-19: A radical modal shift from public to private transport mode," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 1-11.
    3. Train,Kenneth E., 2009. "Discrete Choice Methods with Simulation," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521766555.
    4. Shaheen, Susan PhD & Cohen, Adam & Chan, Nelson & Bansal, Apaar, 2020. "Chapter 13 - Sharing strategies: carsharing, shared micromobility (bikesharing and scooter sharing), transportation network companies, microtransit, and other innovative mobility modes," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt0z9711dw, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    5. Francisco Calderón & Eric J. Miller, 2020. "A literature review of mobility services: definitions, modelling state-of-the-art, and key considerations for a conceptual modelling framework," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(3), pages 312-332, May.
    6. Luyu Liu & Harvey J Miller & Jonathan Scheff, 2020. "The impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on public transit demand in the United States," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-22, November.
    7. Amalia Polydoropoulou & Ioannis Tsouros & Nikolas Thomopoulos & Cristina Pronello & Arnór Elvarsson & Haraldur Sigþórsson & Nima Dadashzadeh & Kristina Stojmenova & Jaka Sodnik & Stelios Neophytou & D, 2021. "Who Is Willing to Share Their AV? Insights about Gender Differences among Seven Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-19, April.
    8. Shaheen, Susan & Cohen, Adam, 2018. "Shared ride services in North America: definitions, impacts, and the future of pooling," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt2wr9q8c2, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    9. Lavieri, Patrícia S. & Bhat, Chandra R., 2019. "Modeling individuals’ willingness to share trips with strangers in an autonomous vehicle future," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 242-261.
    10. Soria, Jason & Stathopoulos, Amanda, 2021. "Investigating socio-spatial differences between solo ridehailing and pooled rides in diverse communities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    11. Alemi, Farzad & Circella, Giovanni & Mokhtarian, Patricia & Handy, Susan, 2018. "Exploring the latent constructs behind the use of ridehailing in California," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 47-62.
    12. Shelly Etzioni & Jamil Hamadneh & Arnór B. Elvarsson & Domokos Esztergár-Kiss & Milena Djukanovic & Stelios N. Neophytou & Jaka Sodnik & Amalia Polydoropoulou & Ioannis Tsouros & Cristina Pronello & N, 2020. "Modeling Cross-National Differences in Automated Vehicle Acceptance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-22, November.
    13. Vincenzo Galasso & Vincent Pons & Paola Profeta & Michael Becher & Sylvain Brouard & Martial Foucault, 2020. "Gender Differences in COVID-19 Related Attitudes and Behavior: Evidence from a Panel Survey in Eight OECD Countries," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03594437, HAL.
    14. Yu, Jie & Goos, Peter & Vandebroek, Martina, 2011. "Individually adapted sequential Bayesian conjoint-choice designs in the presence of consumer heterogeneity," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 378-388.
    15. Caiati, Valeria & Rasouli, Soora & Timmermans, Harry, 2020. "Bundling, pricing schemes and extra features preferences for mobility as a service: Sequential portfolio choice experiment," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 123-148.
    16. Caussade, Sebastián & Ortúzar, Juan de Dios & Rizzi, Luis I. & Hensher, David A., 2005. "Assessing the influence of design dimensions on stated choice experiment estimates," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 621-640, August.
    17. Brown, Anne E., 2020. "Who and where rideshares? Rideshare travel and use in Los Angeles," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 120-134.
    18. Nair, Gopindra S. & Bhat, Chandra R. & Batur, Irfan & Pendyala, Ram M. & Lam, William H.K., 2020. "A model of deadheading trips and pick-up locations for ride-hailing service vehicles," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 289-308.
    19. Rothengatter, Werner & Zhang, Junyi & Hayashi, Yoshitsugu & Nosach, Anastasiia & Wang, Kun & Oum, Tae Hoon, 2021. "Pandemic waves and the time after Covid-19 – Consequences for the transport sector," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 225-237.
    20. Hensher, David A. & Rose, John M., 2007. "Development of commuter and non-commuter mode choice models for the assessment of new public transport infrastructure projects: A case study," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 41(5), pages 428-443, June.
    21. Hall, Jonathan D. & Palsson, Craig & Price, Joseph, 2018. "Is Uber a substitute or complement for public transit?," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 36-50.
    22. María J. Alonso-González & Oded Cats & Niels van Oort & Sascha Hoogendoorn-Lanser & Serge Hoogendoorn, 0. "What are the determinants of the willingness to share rides in pooled on-demand services?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-33.
    23. Schaller, Bruce, 2021. "Can sharing a ride make for less traffic? Evidence from Uber and Lyft and implications for cities," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 1-10.
    24. Anne Brown, 2019. "Redefining Car Access," Journal of the American Planning Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 85(2), pages 83-95, April.
    25. David A. Hensher, 2020. "What might Covid-19 mean for mobility as a service (MaaS)?," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(5), pages 551-556, July.
    26. Toby Bolsen & Paul J. Ferraro & Juan Jose Miranda, 2014. "Are Voters More Likely to Contribute to Other Public Goods? Evidence from a Large‐Scale Randomized Policy Experiment," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 58(1), pages 17-30, January.
    27. Train, Kenneth & Wilson, Wesley W., 2008. "Estimation on stated-preference experiments constructed from revealed-preference choices," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 191-203, March.
    28. Rong, Ke & Li, Boyi & Peng, Wan & Zhou, Di & Shi, Xinwei, 2021. "Sharing economy platforms: creating shared value at a business ecosystem level," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    29. Xiaoxia Dong, 2020. "Trade Uber for the Bus?," Journal of the American Planning Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 86(2), pages 222-235, April.
    30. Yan, Xiang & Liu, Xinyu & Zhao, Xilei, 2020. "Using machine learning for direct demand modeling of ridesourcing services in Chicago," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    31. Al-Ayyash, Zahwa & Abou-Zeid, Maya & Kaysi, Isam, 2016. "Modeling the demand for a shared-ride taxi service: An application to an organization-based context," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 169-182.
    32. Young, Mischa & Allen, Jeff & Farber, Steven, 2020. "Measuring when Uber behaves as a substitute or supplement to transit: An examination of travel-time differences in Toronto," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Soria, Jason & Edward, Deirdre & Stathopoulos, Amanda, 2023. "Requiem for transit ridership? An examination of who abandoned, who will return, and who will ride more with mobility as a service," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 139-154.

    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. Soria, Jason & Stathopoulos, Amanda, 2021. "Investigating socio-spatial differences between solo ridehailing and pooled rides in diverse communities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    2. Li, Shengxiao(Alex) & Zhai, Wei & Jiao, Junfeng & Wang, Chao (Kenneth), 2022. "Who loses and who wins in the ride-hailing era? A case study of Austin, Texas," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 130-138.
    3. Zgheib, Najib & Abou-Zeid, Maya & Kaysi, Isam, 2020. "Modeling demand for ridesourcing as feeder for high capacity mass transit systems with an application to the planned Beirut BRT," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 70-91.
    4. Loa, Patrick & Hossain, Sanjana & Liu, Yicong & Nurul Habib, Khandker, 2022. "How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the use of ride-sourcing services? An empirical evidence-based investigation for the Greater Toronto Area," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 46-62.
    5. Xu, Yiming & Yan, Xiang & Liu, Xinyu & Zhao, Xilei, 2021. "Identifying key factors associated with ridesplitting adoption rate and modeling their nonlinear relationships," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 170-188.
    6. Soria, Jason & Edward, Deirdre & Stathopoulos, Amanda, 2023. "Requiem for transit ridership? An examination of who abandoned, who will return, and who will ride more with mobility as a service," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 139-154.
    7. Loa, Patrick & Nurul Habib, Khandker, 2021. "Examining the influence of attitudinal factors on the use of ride-hailing services in Toronto," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 13-28.
    8. Zhang, Zhaolin & Zhai, Guocong & Xie, Kun & Xiao, Feng, 2022. "Exploring the nonlinear effects of ridesharing on public transit usage: A case study of San Diego," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    9. María J. Alonso-González & Oded Cats & Niels van Oort & Sascha Hoogendoorn-Lanser & Serge Hoogendoorn, 2021. "What are the determinants of the willingness to share rides in pooled on-demand services?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 48(4), pages 1733-1765, August.
    10. Rezwana Rafiq & Michael G. McNally, 2023. "An exploratory analysis of alternative travel behaviors of ride-hailing users," Transportation, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 571-605, April.
    11. María J. Alonso-González & Oded Cats & Niels van Oort & Sascha Hoogendoorn-Lanser & Serge Hoogendoorn, 0. "What are the determinants of the willingness to share rides in pooled on-demand services?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-33.
    12. Xiaoxia Dong & Erick Guerra & Ricardo A. Daziano, 2022. "Impact of TNC on travel behavior and mode choice: a comparative analysis of Boston and Philadelphia," Transportation, Springer, vol. 49(6), pages 1577-1597, December.
    13. Lee, Yongsung & Lee, Bumsoo, 2022. "What’s eating public transit in the United States? Reasons for declining transit ridership in the 2010s," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 126-143.
    14. Wenyuan Zhou & Xuanrong Li & Zhenguo Shi & Bingjie Yang & Dongxu Chen, 2023. "Impact of Carpooling under Mobile Internet on Travel Mode Choices and Urban Traffic Volume: The Case of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-15, April.
    15. Soltani, Ali & Allan, Andrew & Khalaj, Fahimeh & Pojani, Dorina & Mehdizadeh, Milad, 2021. "Ridesharing in Adelaide: Segmentation of users," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    16. Barajas, Jesus M. & Brown, Anne, 2021. "Not minding the gap: Does ride-hailing serve transit deserts?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    17. Yan, Xiang & Liu, Xinyu & Zhao, Xilei, 2020. "Using machine learning for direct demand modeling of ridesourcing services in Chicago," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    18. Abdelwahab, Bilal & Palm, Matthew & Shalaby, Amer & Farber, Steven, 2021. "Evaluating the equity implications of ridehailing through a multi-modal accessibility framework," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    19. van Cranenburgh, S. & Chorus, C.G. & van Wee, B., 2014. "Vacation behaviour under high travel cost conditions – A stated preference of revealed preference approach," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 105-118.
    20. Zou, Zhenpeng & Cirillo, Cinzia, 2021. "Does ridesourcing impact driving decisions: A survey weighted regression analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 1-12.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:arx:papers:2204.01974. 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: arXiv administrators (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://arxiv.org/ .

    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.