Sharing the Ride: Expanding Transit Options in Your
Community
Phil Winters, Director, TDM Program
2015 FPTA/CTD Annual Training & EXPO
October 27, 2015
Center for Urban Transportation Research | University of South Florida
Learning Objectives
• Learn how vanpooling works, what the
benefits and issues are, and how others are
promoting these services in their areas.
• Describe carsharing (e.g., Zipcar, Enterprise
Carshare, etc.), bikesharing, and ride hailing
services (e.g., Uber, Lyft, etc.)
2
Vanpooling
Types of Vanpool Programs
• Owner-Operator Vans
• Employer-Sponsored Vanpools
• Private operators
– vRide
– Enterprise Rideshare
• Public operators
– Directly Operated
– Purchased Transportation
4
Vanpooling and Transit
• Reaches mid to long
distance markets
• Many transit systems
directly operate or
purchase service
• High “farebox
recovery” rates
Vanpooling's Niche:
Farther, Faster and (Nearly)
Fatality Free
Average
Distance
(miles)
(2009) (a)
Average
Speed (mph)
(2009) (a)
2001-2011
Average
Fatalities per
100 million
vehicle miles (b)
Motor bus
4
13
4.0
Heavy rail
5
20
8.9
Light rail
5
15
28.5
Commuter rail
24
31
34.6
Vanpool
33
40
1.2
Mode
Source: National Transportation Statistics, 2009 (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2011)
(a) http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national_transportation_statistics/index.html
(b) http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/Data/samis/default.aspx
Vanpooling by State
(NTD Reported Only)
3500
3000
2500
2011
2000
2012
1500
2013
1000
500
0
CA WA TX
IL MI GA FL AZ UT CT CO NC NJ VA KY PA IA MN TN AK MS NV AL OR MO
7
Vanpooling in Florida
Vehicles Operated in Maximum
Service
Year
Agency
2008
Central Florida Regional
Transportation Authority
62
Charlotte County Transit Division
County of Volusia, dba: VOTRAN
27
Hillsborough Area Regional
Transit Authority
35
Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation
Authority
Lee County Transit
6
Miami Lakes - VPSI, Inc./vRide
198
Space Coast Area Transit
37
Grand Total
365
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
64
67
70
25
24
27
70
6
12
88
8
9
30
30
99
6
223
42
467
93
11
212
48
452
91
11
231
50
488
6
202
36
363
6
209
38
374
8
Vanpool Driver Benefits
Benefits
• Reduces need to purchase a
personal vehicle
• Receives use of vehicle for
personal trips
• Obtains lower vehicle
insurance rates
• Reduces household's vehicle
maintenance costs
• Requires no long term
commitment (typically 30-day
lease)
Concerns
• Locating riders and back-up
drivers
• Collecting payments from
riders
• Maintaining list of back-up
riders
9
Vanpool Riders
Benefits
Concerns
• Reduces stress as employees
arrive refreshed, relaxed and
ready to work
• Increases access to job markets
• Reduces walking distance from
parking lot to worksite (vanpools
often enjoy preferential parking
at employer sites)
• Saves money on commute costs
such as gasoline, and wear-andtear on personal vehicles
• Encourages new friendships
• Increases travel time (pick-up
and drop-off) in areas without
high occupancy facilities
• Requires a fixed schedule
(guaranteed ride home
programs help overcome this
concern)
• Involves perceived high costs
at the shorter trip (e.g., 15 to
20 miles) relative to what they
perceive are their costs (outof-pocket)
10
Employers of Vanpoolers
Benefits
• Reduces the need for
additional parking
• Increases access to labor
markets
• Improves employee morale
and employee relations
• Increases productivity, reduces
absenteeism and tardiness
• Provides an effective, low-cost
recruitment tool
• Enhances employee benefits
packages (tax-free subsidies
allowed up to $130 per mo.)
Concerns
• Increases cost and
administrative burden if
employer runs own vanpool
program
• Impacts of employee
adherence to van's schedule
• Raises the potential loss of
employees or proprietary
information through
networking with other
riders
11
Community Benefits of Vanpooling
• Serves communities not served by transit (bus
and rail)
• Requires fewer passengers than a bus
• Increases federal and state funds to transit
• Provides a lower cost alternative of serving midrange and long-distance commuters than transit
• Provides most, if not all, operating costs from
“fare-box” thus lowering need for local
government subsidies
12
Community Benefits of Vanpooling
• Reduces rush-hour congestion – each 15-passenger van
can reduce up to 14 vehicles.
• FHWA estimates vanpool programs reduces work trip
vehicle miles of travel by 1 percent to 8 percent.
• Improves air quality - The average car emits a quarterpound of pollutants each mile it is driven. On a one
hundred-mile commute, a single car can release 25
pounds of pollutants into the air.
• Reduces dependence on fossil fuels
• Provides option for other groups (e.g., Welfare to
Work)
13
Community Concerns with
Vanpooling
• Locating source of start-up funds and marketing
• Continuing turnover in ridership
• Reconciling vanpool pricing structure with transit
fares to avoid unintentional cannibalization
• Interjurisdictional travel – is one county
subsidizing the trips of non-residents?
• Susceptible to changes in policy (e.g., lower tax
free qualified transportation fringe benefit from
$250 to $130)
14
WHO SHARES A RIDE TO
WORK?
15
Who Carpools – Ability to Speak
English
Within the Mode
Language
Transit/ Bike/
Walk
Drives alone
Carpools
Total
Yes, speaks only English
72.7%
81.7%
68.5%
79.1%
Yes, speaks very well
14.3%
11.1%
13.9%
11.9%
Yes, speaks well
5.5%
3.9%
6.9%
4.4%
Yes, but not well
Does not speak English
5.2%
2.3%
2.5%
0.7%
7.3%
3.4%
3.4%
1.2%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
Total
16
Who Carpools – Ability to Speak
English
By Ability to Speak English
Language
Transit/ Bike/
Walk
Drives alone Carpools
Total
Yes, speaks only English
14.6%
77.3%
8.2%
100.0%
Yes, speaks very well
19.1%
69.9%
11.0%
100.0%
Yes, speaks well
19.7%
65.5%
14.7%
100.0%
Yes, but not well
24.2%
55.6%
20.3%
100.0%
Does not speak English
30.2%
43.9%
26.0%
100.0%
Total
15.8%
74.7%
9.4%
100.0%
17
Carpool Share by Age
Gen - Y
Source: Phil Winters, CUTR from data from Census, ACS 2010
18
Conditions Favorable for Vanpooling
• Subsidy schemes
• SOV parking disincentives
• Time saving measures such as preferential
parking and HOV lanes
19
Summary Of Traditional And Creative
Financing Techniques To Start Or Expand
A Vanpool Program
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Capital Cost of Contracting
Capital Leasing
Toll Revenue Credits for Local
Match
Congestion Mitigation Air
Quality Funds
Conditional Sale
Municipal Lease Purchase
Take Over Existing EmployerOperated Vanpool Program
Customer Financing – State
Tax Incentives: Individual
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Customer Financing – State
Tax Incentives: Employer
Customer Financing –
Federal Tax Incentives:
Employer
Advertising Revenue
Timesharing
Resource Sharing
Use State Contracts to
Purchase
Financial Matching Program
Rent it
Prepayment Inducements
Source: Vanpool Pricing and Financing Guide (CUTR)
20
How to Grow a Vanpool Program
• Penetrate the current market with current
offering
– Increase employer outreach efforts
– Advertise
• Develop new services for current markets
– Establish a frequent “rider” program
– Offer discounts
• Increase retention rates
• Acquire existing vanpool fleets
– Take over an employer’s vanpool program
21
Employer Support for Vanpooling via
Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefits
• Permits employers to subsidize employees’
parking, transit, and vanpool costs and
reimburse bicycling commuting tax free
• Allows commuters to use pre-tax dollars to
pay for parking, transit and vanpool costs (but
not bicycle commuting)
• Requires employer involvement
• Takes a tax deduction, NOT
a tax credit!
22
What Exactly are QTFB
(aka Commuter Benefits)?
• Qualified transportation fringe benefits under
26 U.S. Code Section 132
– Employers may offer workers a tax-free benefit for
transit or van pools up to $130 per month
– Parking is tax-free up to $250 per month
– Exceptions
• No benefit for carpools and pedestrians
• Some groups excluded
– Bicycle – reimburse up to $20 per month
23
Commuter Highway Vehicle
• A highway vehicle with a seating capacity of at least 6
adults (excluding the driver) and at least 80 percent of
the vehicle’s mileage for a year is reasonably expected
to be—
– For transporting employees in connection with travel
between home and work and
– On trips during which the number of employees
transported for commuting is at least one-half of the adult
seating capacity of the vehicle (excluding the driver).
24
Introduction to Shared Mobility
Carsharing, Bikesharing and RideHailing
Center for Urban Transportation Research | University of South Florida
26
Benefits of Carsharing
• Reduces demand for parking
– One carsharing car serves 40-50
members
• Reduces need for personal vehicle
ownership
– more disposable income
– more transit use
• Provides for better health
– more walking and less dependency on
vehicle
27
28
Ways a Communities Might Foster
Widespread Car Sharing
• Unbundle parking from rent or allow people to
lease their residential parking spots
• Designate on-street parking spaces for cars that
are part of a car-sharing program
• Subsidize or require car-sharing programs in new
multi-unit developments
• Legalize off-street parking spots for cars that are
part of a car-sharing program
Source: http://www.shareable.net/blog/policies-for-a-shareable-city-1-car-sharing-and-parking-sharing
29
Bike Sharing
• Citibank $41 million sponsors
• MasterCard $6.5 million sponsor
http://citibikenyc.com/
30
31
32
How it works
33
Bikesharing Benefits
Provides solution for first mile/last mile access to transit
Offers health benefits
Expands access to the community
Ways a Community Might Foster
Widespread Bike Sharing
• Encourage biking by improving bicycle
infrastructure
• Adopt or subsidize a city-wide bike-sharing
program
• Tinker with the helmet laws
• Support expanding bike sharing as a qualified
transportation fringe benefit so employers can
provide tax-free benefit
35
Lessons Learned from
Bike Share programs
• People bike more after joining bike share,
even if they own a bike.
• Big systems work, small systems don’t.
• Bike sharing works best in dense places.
• Bike share stations need to be close together.
• Theft and vandalism aren't major concerns.
36
RIDEHAILING
37
Ride Hailing
• Transportation Network Companies
• Ridesharing
• Ride sourcing
38
Example RideHailing
39
How They Work – Lyft example
• Drivers are screened with DMV and background checks
• $1M per occurrence excess liability insurance policy
• Once a ride is complete, passengers are prompted to
donate seamlessly through the app
• Drivers rate passengers after every ride. Riders can see
driver’s rating before accepting a pick up.
• Every passenger also signs up for Lyft using Facebook
and provides valid credit card information for identity
purposes.
• Community drivers get 80% of the total donations
received from passengers. Money is deposited into
driver’s account each week.
40
What Vehicle Types Are Available Uber
•
•
•
•
uberBLACK The classic black car option is
the default.
uberX The convenience of Uber at a lower
price with hybrid and mid-range cars in a
variety of colors. Seats up to 4 people.
uberSUV More than four people, request
only SUVs, for a higher rate. Seats up to 6
people.
UberSelect Luxury car like BMW
HOW DO UBERSELECT RATES COMPARE?
(ORLANDO)
Base Fare
Per Minute
Per Mile
Minimum Fare
Safe Rides Fee
uberX
$1.00
$0.13
$0.75
$4.00
$1.00
uberXL
$3.00
$0.25
$1.45
$7.00
$1.00
SELECT
$3.00
$0.30
$2.00
$10.00
$1.00
41
Lyft Pricing – Tampa Bay
Plus Pricing (large car w/up to 6
passengers)
Lyft Pricing
•
•
•
•
•
•
Base Charge
Cancel Penalty
Cost Minimum
Cost Per Mile
Cost Per Minute
Trust And Safety Fee
$1.25
$5.00
$4.00
$1.20
$0.13
$1.50
•
•
•
•
•
•
Base Charge
Cancel Penalty
Cost Minimum
Cost Per Mile
Cost Per Minute
Trust And Safety Fee
$1.87
$5.00
$6.00
$1.80
$0.19
$1.50
At times of high demand fares may be subject to a ‘Prime Time’ multiplier to keep vehicles
available. The multiplier, if any, will be communicated to customer at the time of ride
request. Applicable tolls and surcharges may also be added to fare.
42
Trip Purpose – Comparison in SF
Taxis
Ride Hailing
Avoid parking
Other (Medical,)
No transit
School
Medical
Shopping/errands
Car not available
Other business
To/from transit
Work
To/from airport
Shopping/errands
Work
To/from airport
Social/leisure
Going out at night
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
0%
20%
40%
Rayle, Shaheen, Chan, Dai, and Cervero “Just another taxi? App-Based, On-Demand Ride Services:
Comparing Taxi and Ridesourcing Trips and User
Characteristics in San Francisco (2015)
60%
80%
43
Top 2 Reasons for Using
Lyft/Uber/Sidecar
Reasons
Ease of payment
Short wait time
Fastest way to get there
Easy to call car
Didn't want to drive after drinking
Don't need to park
Reliable
Comfort/safety
Cost (cheaper than alternatives)
No public transit option
Could not get taxi
Other
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Rayle, Shaheen, Chan, Dai, and Cervero “Just another taxi? App-Based, On-Demand Ride Services:
Comparing Taxi and Ridesourcing Trips and User
Characteristics in San Francisco (2015)
35%
40%
44
How long would the same trip have
taken by public transit?
• Ridehailing viewed
quicker nearly all the
time (10 minutes on
average)
• 86% trips that are at
least 50% longer by
public transit
• 66% trips that are at
least twice as long by
public transit
Rayle, Shaheen, Chan, Dai, and Cervero “Just another taxi? App-Based, On-Demand Ride Services:
Comparing Taxi and Ridesourcing Trips and User
Characteristics in San Francisco (2015)
45
Current Regulatory Challenges
•
•
•
•
•
Transportation of the disabled and blind
Peak period pricing
Driver background checks (e.g., fingerprinting)
Service to economically disadvantage
Use of curbside and staging areas at airport
Source: Mandle and Box, Regulating Transportation Network Companies on Airports (2015)
46
Lyft Line (carpool to work)
(limited areas but perhaps the future)
• Customer opens the Lyft app and select ‘Line.’ Taps the
‘Request Line’ button. Enters de stination and then Lyft
starts building your Line.
• Pickups at “HotSpot” receive discounts ($5 fare)
• Within minutes, Lyft matches customer with a ride. The
price of your trip is fixed up-front.
– If they don’t find another passenger, customer’s Line will
remain the discounted rate.
• Lyft will text passenger when your Line arrives. All
customer needs to do is walk out the door and hop in.
• Pays up to 60% less than Lyft basic service
47
Contact Information
Phil Winters
Director, TDM Program
Center for Urban Transportation Research
University of South Florida
winters@cutr.usf.edu
813.974.9811
www.cutr.usf.edu
MORE TRAINING:
• Commuter Choice Certificate Program
• Social Marketing and Transportation Certificate
More info on both certificates can be found at
www.commuterservices.com
48
First Mile/Last Mile
uberX (Tampa Bay)
Base fare
Cost per mile
Cost per minute
minimum fare
Safe Rides Fee
Cancellation fee
Miles
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
10
5.00
5.96
7.94
9.92
11.90
13.88
15.86
17.84
19.82
21.80
$
1.00
$1.20
$0.13
$ 4.00
$ 1.00
$ 5.00
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Average Travel Speed
15
20
5.00
$ 5.00
5.44
$ 5.18
7.16
$ 6.77
8.88
$ 8.36
10.60
$ 9.95
12.32
$ 11.54
14.04
$ 13.13
15.76
$ 14.72
17.48
$ 16.31
19.20
$ 17.90
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
25
5.00
5.02
6.54
8.05
9.56
11.07
12.58
14.10
15.61
17.12
49