Project Summary
Low population density and long travel distances make the provision of fixed route transit and micro transit expensive in small towns and rural communities. As a result, transit service in these communities are of very low quality and often leave low-income households with out access to essential services and opportunities. Round trip electric vehicle carsharing has been proposed an alternative supplement transit service in these communities. Recent pilots are testing this alternative with a non-profit service model this offers carsharing at a low-cost ($4 per hour and $35 per day). The research project will examine user demand, revenue, and service cost data from three pilots (as available from the Southern San Joaquin Valley, Richmond, and Stockton). The data will be evaluated to estimate potential “fare box recovery” in the different communities, which can be compared to current transit services in the area.
