Examining the role of ridesourcing services during rain: A Chicago case study

Transportation network companies (TNCs) are an established transportation mode. Yet, uncertainty remains on the level to which rain affects TNC ridership and how this relates to socioeconomic factors. Leveraging TNC trip and weather data from Chicago the authors estimate rain effects on ridership using non-parametric methods and use OLS regression to reveal their associations with underlying demographics. The authors find rain causes ridership fluctuations between −46 % and + 140 %, with highest percentage changes observed in the periphery of Chicago. Ridership tends to decrease in areas near the Chicago Transit Authority rail lines, suggesting a possible alleviating effect of transit. OLS regression reveals areas with higher population tend to experience higher changes in ridership during rain (p < 0.001), and the same is true in areas with higher shares of high-income households (p < 0.05). In addition, higher transit access (p < 0.001) and lower shares of households with no vehicles (p < 0.05) are associated with lower rain effects on ridership.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2025.101812
• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198225004919
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/25901982
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Lezcano, Carlos Mateo Samudio
  • Harper, Corey D
  • Nock, Destenie
  • Michalek, Jeremy J
• Publication Date: 2026-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: 101812
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
  • Volume: 36
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 2590-1982
  • Serial URL: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/transportation-research-interdisciplinary-perspectives
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Mode choice; Rain; Ridership; Ridesourcing; Travel behavior
• Geographic Terms: Chicago (Illinois)
• Subject Areas: Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01978882
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 6 2026 1:52PM