Opportunities & Barriers for Decarbonization of Transportation Network Companies: Findings from a Survey of Drivers in California 

Abstract
New mobility services, including ridehailing services provided by Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) are transforming the passenger transportation sector, yet their impact on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is still largely unknown. Out of this concern, the California Senate Bill (SB) 1014 requires the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to set GHG per TNC passenger-mile targets. To inform this process, our research team launched a comprehensive data collection among both TNC drivers and a riders. Due to the large scope of the study, this abstract will only focus on driver’s perspective (i.e. TNC supply), while a complementary contribution to the conference focuses on the analysis of the data collected among TNC riders (i.e. TNC demand).

The goal of the study is to identify and quantify opportunities and barriers to improved TNC impacts in five main areas:
a) Increase vehicle occupancy through pooling, also called ‘ridesplitting’, “where riders with similar origins and destinations are matched to the same ridesourcing driver and vehicle in real time” (1). This type of service currently exists in nine counties in California. In this study, we investigate the average occupancy of TNC fleets and whether pricing/incentive policies could increase drivers' willingness to provide the pooling option.
b) Promote vehicle electrification. Multiple studies suggest that EVs could be a valuable options for new mobility services to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon footprint (3–5). Even if many TNC drivers’ activity is already compatible with EV ranges and operations, EV adoption is still low. We investigate drivers’ current vehicles, their interest, motives and barriers to electrification to help ease EV market expansion.
c) Decrease deadheading miles generated when drivers travel without any passengers in the vehicle. TNC trips were estimated to generate additional 42%, 56%, 61% and 81% of deadheading per vehicle mile traveled with passengers in Denver, Los Angeles, Austin and Seattle, respectively (6–8). Based on the self-reported trip diary, we estimate the average deadhead time and deadhead miles for drivers and factors that slow down their process of picking up their matched riders.
d) Connect TNC services with public transportation. Ridehailing could play an important role in filling gaps in the public transit network as a first- and last-mile option, yet Alemi et al. have also shown that shared ridehailing might compete even more than single-user ridehailing with the use of active modes and public transit (9). More evidences are collected through this survey to inform their impacts.
e) Promote active travel. Several studies have shown that shorter-distance TNC trips tend to replace for the use of active modes. We explore how pricing could affect the mode distribution and promote increased reliance on active mode.

This study explores the characteristics of TNC drivers and their driving patterns from various perspectives, which helps inform the development of the Clean Miles Standard (CMS) regulation in response to Senate Bill 1014 in California. The study will also support future complementary policies with the goal of decarbonization and VMT reduction.