PART-TIME CARPOOLING: A NEW MARKETING CONCEPT FOR RIDESHARING

The most common objection of solo drivers to carpooling is lack of flexibility. Part-time carpooling (two persons 2 days per week) appears to answer much of this objection. A demonstration project was undertaken to test the effectiveness of part-time carpooling, identify the nature of the market for this concept, and determine what elements contribute most to the success of this type of undertaking. Participants were asked to commit to a two-person carpool 2 days a week for 3 months. A total of 212 people registered, which indicated that the market size for part-time carpooling is approximately 5 percent of the drive-alone commuters at the demonstration site. Half of the registrants had had no previous carpooling experience, and there was a higher-than-normal spread in work schedules. Of the 212 registrants, 100 were matched in potential carpool groups, and 44 people formed new, part-time carpools. There was no ongoing matching support, which may explain in part the high attrition rate (75 percent in 8 months). This demonstration project indicates that part-time carpooling is a promising technique for reaching beyond the commuter market segments traditionally served by conventional ridesharing programs.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1986/1082/1082-002.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=PART-TIME+CARPOOLING%3A+A+NEW+MARKETING+CONCEPT+FOR+RIDESHARING&author=J.+Glazer&author=A.+Koval&author=C.+Gerard&publication_year=1986
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309041023
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Ridesharing. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Glazer, Jesse
  • Koval, Ann
  • Gerard, Carol
• Publication Date: 1986

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 6-15
• Monograph Title: Innovations in ridesharing
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1082
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Carpools; Demonstration projects; Marketing; Measures of effectiveness; Ridesharing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Old TRIS Terms: Part-time; User characteristics
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00471743
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309041023
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Oct 31 1988 12:00AM