Project Description

Shared mobility services such as ride sharing or carpooling could reduce total traveling distance and corresponding energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. However, it is not clear how users’ perceptions and indented actions determine their willingness to participate in ridesharing and pooling and what factors affect shared mobility service operators’ willingness to offer a ride-pooling option for their customers. Our main objective is to investigate how the adoption and increasing use of shared mobility and emerging vehicle types affects energy use and emissions locally and regionally, both from a user and vehicle operator perspective, while considering a heterogeneous traffic mix and different public policy environments. We propose to conduct user surveys in select communities to assess public acceptance and willingness to pay for emerging technologies complemented with sentiment analyses using machine learning techniques of social media channels and data on transportation policies in these communities. Similar experiments will be conducted for shared mobility service operators soliciting their willingness to engage in ride pooling, their route choice decisions, and charging behavior. This research will develop a toolkit that outlines policies and practices for cities to integrate shared mobility services into the built environment and provide a roadmap for future pilot deployments.  

Start Date

March 2021 or sooner

Postdoc Qualifications

We are looking for a candidate that has a doctoral degree in a relevant field, including (but not restricted to) transportation systems, economics, public policy. We are looking for a candidate with good analytical skills, preferably with experience in survey analysis, statistical tools, mixed methods and machine learning techniques. Other skills include strong organizational, writing and oral communication skills, ability to work independently and participate in teams with diverse individuals. 

Co-Advisors

Konstantina (Nadia) Gkritza, Professor, Lyles School of Civil Engineering and Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana; nadia@purdue.edu; https://engineering.purdue.edu/STSRG

Rosalee A. Clawson, Professor of Political Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana; clawsonr@purdue.edu; https://rosaleeclawson.weebly.com/?_ga=2.260727501.1309060005.1598286081-1335990869.1598286081

References

Axsen, J., B. K. Sovacool, (2019) The roles of users in electric, shared and automated mobility transitions, Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, Volume 71,1-21,

Gkartzonikas, C., and K. Gkritza (2019), “What Have We Learned? A Review of Stated Preference and Choice Studies on Autonomous Vehicles,” Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies 98: 323–337.

Jacobson, S. H., & King, D. M. (2009). Fuel saving and ridesharing in the US: Motivations, limitations, and opportunities. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 14(1), 14–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2008.10.001

Pyrialakou, V.D., C. Gkartzonikas, Gatlin, D, K. Gkritza (2020), “Perceptions of Safety on a Shared Road: Driving, Cycling, or Walking near an Autonomous Vehicle”, Journal of Safety Research, Special Issue on Safety, Human Factors and Technology (in press, available online 14 January 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2019.12.017).

Shaheen, S., & Chan, N. (2015). Mobility and the Sharing Economy: Impact Synopsis. http://innovativemobility.org/wp-content/uploads/Innovative-Mobility-Industry-Outlook_SM-Spring-2015.pdf