What Influences Travelers to Use Uber? Exploring the Factors Affecting the Adoption of On-Demand Ride Services

Emerging transportation technologies and shared-mobility services are quickly changing the way individuals travel, in particular in large urban areas. Among other effects, shared-mobility services expand the set of transportation alternatives available for a trip, allow for more flexibility in travel schedules, and provide access to transportation without incurring the costs of auto ownership. Among the most controversial and rapidly growing shared-mobility services are on-demand ride services, such as those offered by Uber and Lyft. Young adults, or millennials, are often reported to be among the most frequent users of these services. Still, the factors affecting the adoption of these services, and the impacts that the use of these services has on passenger travel (including the use of other modes) are still largely unclear. This paper investigates the factors affecting the adoption of on-demand ride services among millennials, i.e. young adults 18 to 34 years old in 2015, and the members of the preceding Generation X, i.e. middle-aged adults 35 to 50 years old, in California. Using data collected in fall 2015, the authors analyze the circumstances under which individuals are more likely to use on-demand ride services and the travel patterns associated with using these services. Not surprisingly, the authors found that increased land use diversity and centrality are associated with higher adoption of these services. Respondents that report higher numbers of long distance trips and have a higher share of long distance trips made by plane are also more likely to use these services.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADB20 Standing Committee on Effects of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on Travel Choices.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Alemi, Farzad
  • Circella, Giovanni
  • Handy, Susan
  • Mokhtarian, Patricia
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 96th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2017-1-8 to 2017-1-12
• Date: 2017

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 16p
• Monograph Title: TRB 96th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age groups; Demand responsive transportation; Land use; Mode choice; Ridesharing; Travel patterns; Trip length; Urban areas
• Identifier Terms: Uber
• Geographic Terms: California
• Subject Areas: Highways; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01629522
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 17-05630
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 20 2017 9:23AM