Multidimensional Analysis of Willingness to Share Rides in a Future of Autonomous Vehicles

A sustainable transportation future is one in which people eschew personal car ownership in favor of using autonomous vehicle (AV)-based ridehailing services in a shared mode. However, the traveling public has historically shown a disinclination toward sharing rides and carpooling with strangers. In a future of AV-based ridehailing services, it will be necessary for people to embrace both AVs as well as true ridesharing to fully realize the benefits of automated and shared mobility technologies. This study investigated the factors influencing willingness to use AV-based ridehailing services in the future in a shared mode (i.e., with strangers). This was done through the estimation of a behavioral model system on a comprehensive survey data set that included rich information about attitudes, perceptions, and preferences pertaining to the adoption of AVs and shared mobility modes. The model results showed that current ridehailing experiences strongly influenced the likelihood of being willing to ride AV-based services in a shared mode. Campaigns that provide opportunities for individuals to experience such services firsthand would potentially go a long way to enabling a shared mobility future at scale. In addition, several attitudinal variables were found to strongly influence the adoption of future mobility services; these findings provide insights on the likely early adopters of shared autonomous mobility services and the types of educational awareness campaigns that may effect change in the prospects of such services.