Shared Mobility

Carsharing in North America: Market Growth, Current Developments, and Future Potential

Shaheen, Susan A.
Cohen, Adam P.
Roberts, J. Darius
2006

Carsharing provides members access to a fleet of autos for short-term use throughout the day, reducing the need for one or more personal vehicles. Over ten years ago, carsharing operators began to appear in North America. Since 1994, a total of 40 programs have been deployed—28 are operating in 36 urban areas and 12 are now defunct. Another four are planned to launch in the next year. This paper examines carsharing growth potential in North America, based on a survey of 26 existing organizations conducted from April to July 2005. Since the mid-1990s, the number of members and vehicles...

Carsharing in Shanghai, China: Analysis of Behavioural Response to Local Survey and Potential Competition

Wang, Mingquan
Martin, Elliot
Shaheen, Susan A.
2012

The rapid motorization of China raises questions about the potential of alternative mobility solutions, such as carsharing (short-term auto use), in developing mega cities like Shanghai. While motor vehicle demand is increasing rapidly, there are many aspects of urban transportation in Shanghai (and China more broadly) that separate it from the urban environments in which carsharing has traditionally thrived. For example, the taxi plays a much more prominent role in the transportation systems of Shanghai and Beijing than it does in most North American and European cities. Carsharing has...

Shared-Use Vehicle Services for Sustainable Transportation: Carsharing, Bikesharing, and Personal Vehicle Sharing across the Globe

Shaheen, Susan A.
2012

This special issue of the International Journal of Sustainable Transportation highlights developments in shared-use vehicle research, in particular carsharing, public bikesharing, and personal vehicle sharing. Since the mid-1980s, shared-use vehicle services have gained momentum across the world. Developments include a range of operational models—private, non-profit, and governmental ventures; advanced technology; worldwide entry and growth; collaboration and competition; and increased activity by auto rental companies and automakers.

Impacts of Car2go on Vehicle Ownership, Modal Shift, Vehicle Miles Traveled, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: An Analysis of Five North American Cities

Martin, Elliot
Shaheen, Susan
2016

Car2go is currently the largest carsharing operator in the world, with a presence in nine countries and nearly 30 cities. It operates as a one-way instant access carsharing system within a pre-defined urban zone. Members can find an unoccupied parked vehicle, access it immediately, and use it to meet their local travel needs. As long as the vehicle is parked within the operating zone, users...

Car Sharing and Mobility Management: Facing New Challenges with Technology and Innovative Business Planning

Wagner, Conrad
Shaheen, Susan
1998

More car sharing organisations are beginning to appear throughout Europe and North America. The use of existing and new technologies in an innovative way offers tremendous opportunities for this industry to grow.

Understanding Carsharing Risk and Insurance Claims in the United States

Shaheen, Susan
Shen, Diwen
Martin, Elliot
2016

Carsharing offers consumers short-term access to vehicles, which facilitates better mobility and reduces the need for personal vehicle ownership. Carsharing does not require consumers to have automobile insurance. Instead, carsharing operators insure their members and are responsible for the risks and liabilities associated with vehicle use. Carsharing operators are burdened with obtaining cost-effective insurance under a usage model that lacks massive actuarial data and analysis. This study analyzes 28 operator years of trips and claims data from six carsharing operators in the United...

Shared Mobility and Urban Form Impacts: A Case Study of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Carsharing in the US

Shaheen, Susan
Martin, Elliot
Hoffman-Stapleton, Mikaela
2019

This paper advances the understanding of peer-to-peer (P2P) carsharing within the broader context of shared mobility and its connection to the built environment in the US through a survey conducted in 2014 (n = 1,151). Eleven per cent of respondents used carpooling/ridesharing more, and 19% avoided a vehicle purchase due to P2P vehicle access in urban areas. Nevertheless, P2P carsharing has the potential to operate in a range of land-use environments and could be an important strategy to further deemphasize car ownership. Additionally, as the deployment of automated...

Demand for Carsharing Systems in Beijing, China: An Exploratory Study

Shaheen, Susan A.
Martin, Elliot
2010

Rising auto ownership in China brings significant urban and environmental challenges. Since China is still in the early stages of motorization, there are opportunities to introduce alternatives to personal vehicle ownership. The authors conducted a survey with 800 Beijing residents, collecting data on transportation patterns, automobile ownership, environmental attitudes, and carsharing response. Fifteen of those participants were selected to complete an in-depth questionnaire discussing how they would use carsharing services. This paper assesses the potential for carsharing systems within...

Growth in Worldwide Carsharing: An International Comparison

Shaheen, Susan A.
Cohen, Adam P.
2007

Carsharing (or short-term auto use) provides a flexible alternative that meets diverse transportation needs across the globe while reducing the negative impacts of private vehicle ownership. Although carsharing appeared in Europe between the 1940s and 1980s, the concept did not become popularized until the early 1990s. For nearly 20 years, worldwide participation in carsharing has been growing. Today, carsharing operates in approximately 600 cities around the world, in 18 nations and on 4 continents. Approximately 348,000 individuals share nearly 11,700 vehicles as part of organized...

Chapter 12: Shared Micromobility Policy and Practices in the United states

Shaheen, Susan
2021

Shared micromobility has the potential to offer communities an array of individual and community benefits, such as increased mobility, greater environmental awareness, and increased use of active transportation and non-vehicular modes. With careful planning and public policy, micromobility can also enhance accessibility and quality of life in cities. This chapter dis-cusses the growth of shared micromobility, its impacts on users and communities, and policy considerations for managing the potential adverse impacts of shared micromobility on curbspace management. This chapter is...