EVALUATION OF EMPLOYER-SPONSORED RIDESHARING PROGRAMS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

On the basis of a survey of employer-sponsored ridesharing programs in Southern California, firm size appears to be the most important explanatory variable for program choice and effectiveness. Larger firms were significantly more likely to offer direct ridesharing incentives to employees and to report direct benefits to the employer from ridesharing, and they were somewhat more likely to implement staggered work shifts and compressed work weeks but not flexible work hours. Significant economies of scale occur in providing personalized matching assistance to employees. The employees of larger firms were significantly more likely to rideshare, apart from other firm, program, and policy factors. These results strongly suggest that public policy on ridesharing, to produce less costly, more effective, and thus more efficient results, should focus on larger firms. Personalized matching assistance was highly effective in increasing the level of ridesharing, but direct ridesharing incentives were not. Alternative work schedules may hinder the formation of ridesharing arrangements, at least in some cases. The regional coordination of ridesharing promotional efforts may be necessary from a public policy perspective, but it is not sufficient, by itself, to ensure an efficient level of ridesharing. Employer-sponsored ridesharing programs may be the single most effective strategy to promote efficient levels of ridesharing on a regional basis. Most firms do not actively promote ridesharing on a voluntary basis, however. The participation of both the private and public sectors is necessary to maintain regional mobility through transportation demand management strategies such as ridesharing.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1990/1280/1280-007.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=EVALUATION+OF+EMPLOYER-SPONSORED+RIDESHARING+PROGRAMS+IN+SOUTHERN+CALIFORNIA&author=E.+Ferguson&publication_year=1990
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1280, Transportation Management, HOV Systems, and Geometric Design and Effects 1990. 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:
  • Ferguson, Erik T
• Publication Date: 1990

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 59-72
• Monograph Title: Transportation management, HOV systems, and geometric design and effects 1990
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1280
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefits; Businesses; Data collection; Hours of labor; Incentives; Ridesharing; Size; Staggered work hours; Surveys
• Uncontrolled Terms: Sponsors
• Geographic Terms: California
• Old TRIS Terms: Compressed work weeks
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00605580
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309050588
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 31 1991 12:00AM