What do walking and e-hailing bring to scale economies? A general microeconomic model for on-demand mobility

Abstract

Joint travel decisions remain poorly explained in behavioral models due to lack of empirical data. To address this problem, we propose a novel survey methodology to collect data on joint activities, from all members of a given clique. Through this method we are able to observe not only the outcome, but also the decision-making process itself, including the alternatives that compose the choice set, individual and clique characteristics that might affect the choice process, and the discussion behind the choice via texts. This will allow researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the joint decision-making process, including how alternatives are weighted, how members interact with each other, and how joint choices are made. Here we introduce the results of an implementation focusing on joint eating-out activities in Tokyo, focusing on survey components, execution, and insights on the data.