Implementing Real-Time Ridesharing in the San Francisco Bay Area
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Running Head: Implementing Real-time Ridesharing Implementing Real-time Ridesharing in the San Francisco Bay Area A Thesis Quality Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Masters of Science in Transportation Management By Susan Heinrich Mineta Transportation Institute San Jose State University June 2010 Implementing Real-time Ridesharing in the San Francisco Bay Area Susan Heinrich, ii Acknowledgements Many thanks to the following people, whose time and support made this project possible. 511 Contra Costa: Corinne Dutra-Roberts Lynn Overcashier 511 Rideshare Program: Debbie Maus, Operations Manager Helise Cohn, Program Evaluation Manager Kit Powis, Marketing Manager Robert Ancar, New York State Department of Transportation Brant Arthur, Sonoma County Climate Protection Campaign Avego: Paul Connelly Emmett Murphy Steve Beroldo, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Brandi Childress, Public Information, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Charlie Crissman, Goose Networks Mark Evanoff, AlternetWays MaryAnn Faraschon, Ecology & Environment Lisa Fasano, Public Information Officer, Bay Area Air Quality Management District Steffen Frost, Carticipate Elizabeth Jesperson, Vanpool Services Incorporated (VPSI) Erin Korn, Parker Research Christine Maley-Grubl, Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance Daniel McCoy, Genentech Corporation Metropolitan Transportation Commission: Sarah Burnworth, 511 Traveler Information Program Shauna Callow, 511 Traveler Information Program Brenda Kahn, Public Information Officer Carol Kuester, 511 Traveler Information Program Emily Van Wagner, 511 Traveler Information Program Ursula Vogler, Public Information Officer Paul Minet, Trip Convergence Mineta Transportation Institute: Dr. Peter Haas Rod Diridon Viviann Ferea Donna Maurillo Roy Russell, GoLoco Kathleen Sobush, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Rick Steele, NuRide University of California at Berkeley, PATH: Karen Frick Kevin Shively And last but not least, many thanks to my friends and family, specifically my husband, Dave Beaty, and my parents, Mark and Jane Heinrich, who helped distribute survey flyers, asked for daily updates on the number of survey respondents, reviewed drafts of my paper and provided overall moral support. Implementing Real-time Ridesharing in the San Francisco Bay Area Susan Heinrich, i Table of Contents List of Tables…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..iii Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…iv 1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….…1 2. Research Methods……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….2 2.1 Literature Review of Past Projects………………………………………………………………………………………..2 2.2 Interviews with Recent & Current Dynamic Rideshare Program Operators………………………….2 2.3 Market Demand Surveys…………………………………………………………………………………………………..….2 3. Real-time Rideshare Pilot Projects………………………………..…………………………………………………………………….5 3.1 Bellevue Smart Traveler, Bellevue, Washington, 1993………………………………………..………………..5 3.2 Bellevue Smart Traveler, 1995……………………………………………………………………………………….…….6 3.3 Los Angeles Smart Traveler, 1994…………………………….…………………………………………………………..7 3.4 Sacramento Dynamic Rideshare Demonstration, 1994…………………………………………………………8 3.5 Coachella Valley TransAction Network (Riverside County, CA), 1994……………………………………8 3.6 Seattle Smart Traveler, 1996…………………………………………………………………………………………………8 3.7 RideNow, Dublin & Pleasanton, California, 2006………………………………………………………….………9 3.8 Goose Networks, Genentech Corporation, San Francisco, California, 2008…………………………10 3.9 RideCell, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, 2010……………………………………………………..……10 3.10 Avego, University Cork, Ireland, 2010……………………………………………………………………….………11 3.11 Carticipate, 2008 to Present…………………………………………………………………………………………..…12 3.12 QuickFlow, 2010………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..12 3.13 Casual Carpooling in the San Francisco Bay Area…………………………………………………………..….12 3.14 Pilot Projects Summary & Findings……………………………………………………………………………………13 4. Demand for Real-time Ridesharing in the Bay Area…………………………………………………………………………..16 4.1 Demographics…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….16 4.2 Travel Modes……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………17 4.4 Schedules & Flexibility………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….18 4.5 Likelihood of Trying a Real-time Rideshare Service………………………………………………………..…..18 4.6 Amount of Time Preferred in Advance of Ridesharing………………………………………………….…….20 4.7 Functionalities and Services Preferred………………………………………………………………………….……21 4.8 Time and Money Savings, Incentives & Rewards………………………………………………………………..22 4.9 Summary of Survey Analysis………………………………………………………………………………………….…..23 5. Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...24 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..27 Appendix A - Interview Questions………………………………………………………………………………………………………....29 Appendix B – Survey Instrument & Results……….……….………………………………………………………………………….30 Endnotes……………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………94 Implementing Real-time Ridesharing in the San Francisco Bay Area Susan Heinrich, ii List of Tables Table 1 - Survey Distribution……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..3 Table 2 - Pilot Projects Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………15 Table 3 – Respondents’ Travel Modes for Commuting to Work……………………………………………………………..17 Table 4 – Respondents’ Travel Modes for Commuting from Work………………………………………………………...17 Table 5 – Respondents’ Travel Modes for Non-Commutes………………………………………………………………..…..18 Table 6 – Likelihood of Using Real-time Rideshare Service…………………………………………………………………….19 Table 7 – Reasons for Being Likely to Use Real-time Rideshare Service………………………………………………....19 Table 8 – Reasons Not Likely to Use Real-time Rideshare Service……………………………………………………..…..20 Table 9 – Functionality & Service Preferences……………………………………………………………………………….………21 Implementing Real-time Ridesharing in the San Francisco Bay Area Susan Heinrich, iii Executive Summary Real-time ridesharing is an approach to carpooling (or vanpooling) in which interested carpoolers find others to share the ride within a relatively short time of their departure. This concept has been tested in a number of pilot projects over the years, using various technologies. None of the applications as a whole has been successful enough to be sustained, though some components have been incorporated into ridematching systems in operation. Yet, within the last several years, an increasing number of developers have developed new products, hoping to enable real-time ridesharing using the latest technologies and social media. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the regional rideshare program, 511 Rideshare, is regularly approached by software developers requesting funding to demonstrate their products. Because funding is limited, the Bay Area’s Regional Rideshare Program (operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission) is interested in a comprehensive research-analysis on the topic so that they can make informed decisions on how to integrate real-time functionalities in its existing ridesharing program. This paper provides a synthesis of lessons-learned from previous pilot projects, as well as a few projects currently in operation. Additionally, this paper provides results of a market demand survey, which researched Bay Area commuters’ preferences regarding real-time ridesharing. One of the interesting findings of this project was that real-time rideshare projects need a longer demonstration period than what has been conducted in most projects in the past. The market demand survey findings showed that about half the respondents were willing to try a real-time rideshare service. As a result, this paper recommends not conducting a pilot project in the traditional sense. Instead, this paper recommends incorporating real-time functionalities into the Bay Area’s existing rideshare program and committing to the service for the life of the existing rideshare system. In accordance with this recommendation, this paper makes recommendations regarding specific system functionality, necessary changes to program service, security, marketing and outreach, incentives and back-up transportation (or guaranteed ride home programs). Implementing Real-time Ridesharing in the San Francisco Bay Area Susan Heinrich, iv 1. Introduction Real-time ridesharing is an approach to carpooling (or vanpooling) in which interested carpoolers find others to share the ride within a relatively short time of their departure. It is a little-known concept outside the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) professional community. Within the TDM community, it is still largely considered a concept-solution to a commonly cited barrier to ridesharing – that committed rideshare arrangements with regular schedules are not flexible enough to fit the variable and demanding schedules of many working people and their families. This concept has been tested in a number of pilot projects over the years, using various technologies. None of the applications as a whole has been successful enough to be sustained, though components used in some of the pilot projects, like the internet and email, have become standard features of ridematching systems in operation today. For example, years ago, the Bay Area’s regional rideshare program provided paper matchlists by mail or fax. With the evolution of the internet and email, the 511 Rideshare program has been using an online ridematching system that provides instant matchlists with phone numbers