Proposed Typology for Ridesourcing Using Survey Data from Tennessee

Abstract

Although ridesourcing users have been studied in literature, it is unlikely that everyone uses ridesourcing homogenously. Identifying a ridesourcing user typology could help to further understand how ridesourcing is used, to better plan and manage these services. This study employed survey data collected in 2019 from residents of three heavily auto-oriented metro areas in Tennessee to generate a ridesourcing user typology based on demographic, socioeconomic, and preference variables. We identified four ridesourcing user and nonuser types: “young urban local users,”“wealthy travelers,”“tagalong users,” and “nonusers.” The young urban local users made up about 20% of the sample and included those who used ridesourcing locally. They tended to use ridesourcing for social purposes, were younger and had higher incomes. These findings aligned with prior research. The wealthy traveler type was comprised of those who used ridesourcing primarily when traveling. Wealthy travelers were older and had higher incomes than other user types. Tagalong users typically rode with friends/family; they tended to be younger, female, and/or Black. Prior research has largely excluded the tagalong user type. The nonuser was the fourth and largest (53%) type. Nonusers were usually older, had lower incomes, and were located in rural areas. Their most common reasons for not using ridesourcing included car ownership, safety concerns, and cost. Understanding the differences between these user types could help practitioners and policy makers better plan for ridesourcing services and integrate them into the operations of local transportation systems, particularly in more autocentric metropolitan areas.