Investigating the preferences for the use of urban ridepooling

Abstract

This study investigates the preferences for the use of the urban ridepooling service MOIA in Hamburg, Germany. A survey with over 4,000 (non-)users was conducted and a discrete choice model was estimated to understand users’ preferences to use the service. The study provides insights into the sociodemographic characteristics of ridepooling users, their preferences towards the service and first findings on the preferences towards an intermodal combination with public transportation. The results show that factors such as travel cost, time, trip distance and purpose are significant in influencing the use of ridepooling services. According to the choice experiment, intermodal travel is a viable choice for trip distances above 10 km, primarily for public transport subscription holders. The findings of this study can inform the design and marketing of future ridepooling services, and contribute to the broader debate on the potential benefits and challenges of shared mobility services in improving urban mobility and reducing the negative impacts of transportation on the environment.