Ridesharing (Carpooling and Vanpooling)

Ridesharing allows travelers to share a ride to a common destination and can include several forms (Shaheen & Cohen, 2019; Chan & Shaheen, 2011; SAE International, 2018). Ridesharing differs from for-hire vehicle services (i.e., transportation network companies (TNCs), ridesourcing, and ridehailing) in its financial motivation. When a ridesharing payment is collected, it partially covers the driver’s cost and is not intended to result in financial gain. Additionally, the driver has a common origin and/or destination with the passengers. In this toolkit, readers will find a summary of the social, environmental, and behavioral impacts of ridesharing as well as a summary of user benefits. Following this material is an in-depth exploration of policy considerations for ridesharing that includes: incentive zoning, public-private partnerships, parking policies, road and curb pricing, ridesharing infrastructure, and tax incentives. Case studies of policies implemented for ridesharing are provided throughout the text.