Assessment of the Employment Accessibility Benefits of Shared Autonomous Mobility Services

Research Lead: Michael Hyland

UC Campus(es): UC Irvine

Problem Statement: Connecting people to employment opportunities is one of the most important goals of a regional transportation system. However, many people, particularly low-income families, struggle to access their current jobs and other potential employment opportunities. Shared autonomous mobility services (SAMSs), which are similar to taxi and ridesourcing services except the vehicles are driverless and centrally-operated, have the potential to overcome many of the employment accessibility challenges facing commuters.

Project Description: This study quantifies the potential impact of SAMS modes on access to employment opportunities in the Southern California region. The results indicate: (i) the accessibility benefit differences across latent classes are modest but young workers and low-income workers do see higher benefits than high- and middle-income workers; (ii) there are substantial spatial differences in accessibility benefits with workers living in lower density areas benefiting more than workers living in high-density areas; (iii) nearly all the accessibility benefits come from the SAMS-only mode as opposed to the SAMS+Transit mode (i.e., SAMS used in coordination with transit to complete a trip); and (iv) the SAMS cost per mile assumption significantly impacts the magnitude of the overall employment accessibility benefits.

Status: Completed

Budget: $50,000