Ridesharing in a Rural Environment

As discussed in the final report, this research first looked at the new mobility options that have become available more recently (carsharing, ridesharing, TNCs, mobility-as-a-service, shared mobility, and microtransit) and reviewed literature with a focus on identifying research that discusses these mobility options in a rural context.  In addition, a survey was distributed to communities that have a TNC operating within their jurisdiction to better understand challenges and benefits from their viewpoint.  The most commonly cited challenges by survey respondents, which generally coincided with that found in the literature include: low population density, competition with other modes, safety, equity, congestion, convenience, and coordination.  The most commonly cited benefits by survey respondents, which generally coincided with that found in the literature include: congestion, environmental, equity, increased mobility options, parking, social, reduced transportation costs, and convenience.  Notice that three of the challenges and benefits overlap, although from opposing viewpoints: congestion, equity, and convenience.  As a whole, the lack of research on more novel mobility options as a result of technological innovations as applied in the rural context suggests that there is a lot of opportunity for further advancement.  Performing demonstration projects is a recommended first step.  Synthesizing what worked and what could be improved based on a multitude of implementations across the United States could provide additional mobility options to rural Americans.  Case studies of implementations in rural areas should be developed to serve as a record of the growing knowledge.

The objective of this project is to explore the components of ridesharing business models and how they relate to rural applications.

Shared automobile services such as Uber and Lyft are becoming more popular in urban areas. However, these transportation options may also be appealing in rural areas, especially to people with limited mobility or without a personal vehicle. Recently, companies like Liberty and Chariot have begun offering ridesharing services in rural areas. This project will explore the components of ridesharing business models and how they relate to rural applications. The project will also include a case study of current ridesharing providers in rural areas to look at implementation challenges and opportunities.