Shared Mobility

This article examines the opportunities and limitations of how ride-hailing can benefit a broader group of transportation users. It uses Lyft trip data to understand the relationship between Lyft trips, the built environment, and the socioeconomic characteristics of neighborhoods or communities in Los Angeles, California. Some of the findings of the study suggest that:

• Ride-hailing services are not limited to urban centers but can extend to suburban or rural communities.
• Unlike taxi service, ride-hailing does not exclude low-income communities from its service area.
• Travelers without smartphones and those unbanked can be from ride-hailing services.

This article suggests that planners should consider policies and partnerships to extend ride-hailing services beyond the urban center and to groups often excluded due to lack of bank services or smartphones.