Strangers On This Road We Are On: A Literature Review of Pooling in On-Demand Mobility Services

Abstract

Ridepooling service options introduced by transportation network companies (TNCs) and microtransit companies provide opportunities to increase shared-ride trips in vehicles, thereby improving congestion and environmental factors. This paper reviews the existing literature available on ridepooling and related services, specifically focusing on pooling options available from on-demand transportation companies. The paper summarizes the existing knowledge on the use of pooled-ride services, factors in travel mode service options for customers, available policy and planning strategies to incentivize sharing vehicles, and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on shared-ride travel. Overall, research shows that ridepooling options are more likely to be considered by public transit users who have lower household incomes, while ridesourcing users of upper-class backgrounds are less likely to consider moving to a shared-ride service. Travel time and trip cost are the most important factors for travelers determining whether to use a ridesplitting or microtransit service rather than a ride-alone ridesourced trip. Existing policy and planning tools targeting pooled travel or TNCs can be expanded on and specified for on-demand ridepooling services, such as offering better incentives to use shared vehicles and increased access to curb areas or travel lanes, but the most effective strategies will include increasing the user costs for parking or riding alone.

Gender Gaps in Improvements to Shared-Ride Services: Insights from a Shared Mobility Survey

“…On-demand transportation services allow passengers to book rides, usually through a digital application or platform, at locations and times convenient to them, as opposed to services that only travel between specific locations or follow a strict schedule, such as fixed-route public transit. Some examples include TNCs that connect travelers to drivers using personal vehicles, which can also be provided as a shared service with other unknown passengers as well as microtransit services, which pool passenger trips in shuttles or vans together using real-time routing and scheduling (Hansen and Sener 2022).…”

Improving Acceptability of Cost Savings Allocation in Ridesharing Systems Based on Analysis of Proportional Methods

“…The report by Hansen & Sener indicated that ridesharing is more likely to be considered by lower incomes public transit users [30]. Hence, time and cost are two important factors for users to determine whether to choose the ridesharing mode.…”

Operational Impacts of On-Demand Ride-Pooling Service Options in Birmingham, AL

“…In recent years, ride-pooling services have gained popularity as a ride-sourcing transportation option, as they allow more than one passenger's request to be served in one ride, thus reducing the number of vehicles on the network [1]. Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) view ride-pooling services as a way to increase ridership, reduce customer cost, and expand ridesharing options [2]. Uber and Lyft, the two most popular ride-hailing companies, offer Uber Pool and Lyft Line Future Transp.…”

“…As part of an Uber Pool trip, Uber determines the best route along which multiple riders are going to be picked up [4]. In addition to offering rides at a reduced cost to customers, ride-pooling is viewed by many as a great way to reduce urban traffic congestion [1,2,5]. However, there is still a lack of clarity regarding the true impact of ride-pooling services on traffic network operations, in general, and traffic congestion in particular, due to the limited amount of research conducted on those topics.…”