TSRC

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.

Smart Parking Linked to Transit: Lessons Learned from Field Test in San Francisco Bay Area of California

Shaheen, Susan A.
Kemmerer, Charlene
2008

Rising demand for parking at suburban transit stations, such as the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District in California, necessitates strategies to manage traveler demand. To better manage parking supply, researchers implemented a smart parking field test at the Rockridge BART station from 2004 to 2006 to evaluate the effects of smart parking technologies (changeable message signs (CMSs), Internet reservations and billing, mobile phone and personal digital assistant communications, and a wireless parking lot counting system) on transit ridership and response to service pricing....

Economic Assessment of Electric-Drive Vehicle Operation in California and Other U.S. Regions

Lidicker, Jeffrey R.
Lipman, Timothy E.
Shaheen, Susan A.
2010

This study examines the relative economics of electric vehicle operation in the context of current electricity rates in specific utility service territories. The authors examined 14 utility territories offering electric vehicle (EV) rates, focusing on California but also including other regions of theUnited States. The consumer costs of EV charging were examined in comparison with gasoline price data, geographic location, and during three highly variable gasoline price periods of July 2008, January 2009, and July 2009. In a switch from a conventional 23 mile per gallon (10.2liters/100...

Virtual Commercial Vehicle Compliance Stations: A Review of Legal and Institutional Issues

Rodier, Caroline J.
Shaheen, Susan A.
Cavanagh, Ellen
2006

In the past five years, commercial vehicle travel has increased 60 percent on California’s highways, without a corresponding increase in compliance inspection station capacity or enforcement officers. Commercial vehicles that do not comply with regulations impose significant public costs including, for example, pavement and structure damage to roads and catastrophic crashes. In response to these problems, the California Department of Transportation is investigating the potential application of detection and communication technology in virtual compliance stations (VCS) to cost-effectively...

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...

Transit-Based Smart Parking in the San Francisco Bay Area, California: Assessment of User Demand and Behavioral Effects

Rodier, Caroline J.
Shaheen, Susan A.
Eaken, Amanda M.
2005

This paper presents early findings from an application of advanced parking technologies to increase effective parking capacity at a transit station during the first half of 2004 in the San Francisco Bay Area (CA). It begins with an extensive review of the literature related to transit-based smart parking management systems to illustrate the range of system configurations and their potential travel, economic, and environmental effects. Two important conclusions from this review are: (1) lack of parking spaces at transit stations may be a significant constraint to transit use and (2) pre-...

Video Transit Training for Older Travelers: Case Study of the Rossmoor Senior Adult Community, Walnut Creek, California

Shaheen, Susan A.
Rodier, Caroline J.
2007

This study applied principles of social learning and marketing to develop a transit training video for residents of the Rossmoor Senior Adult Community in California. The video features familiar community members successfully navigating specific concerns and problems related to transit use in accessing key community destinations (shopping, health care, and the nearest San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District station). Residents were recruited to complete questionnaires before and after viewing the video to evaluate its effectiveness. Video messages that were aimed at educating viewers...

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.