What influences the substitution of ride-sourcing for public transit and taxi services in Toronto? An exploratory structural equation model-based study

Abstract

The continued growth and utilization of ride-sourcing services have reshaped traditional perceptions of urban mobility. As the popularity of this relatively novel mode of travel has continued to grow, there has been a greater focus on the effect that the adoption and use of ride-sourcing have on the utilization of more traditional modes of transportation. With a few notable exceptions, prior studies on the topic often rely on descriptive statistics to understand the modes that are replaced by ride-sourcing for specific trips. This study utilizes structural equation models to investigate the factors influencing the decision to choose public transit and taxi as their so-called substitute alternative mode for a recent ride-sourcing trip, using data from a web-based survey of Toronto residents. The results indicate that socio-economic and trip-related attributes influence the selection of the substitute alternative mode, and to a lesser extent, attitudes toward ride-sourcing services. In particular, students, persons from lower-income households, and transit pass owners were found to be more likely to substitute ride-sourcing for public transit, while older respondents and persons from wealthier households were more likely to select taxi instead. The study outcomes shed light on the types of transit trips that are more likely to be replaced in favor of ride-sourcing services and the attributes of individuals who are more likely to make this replacement. This information can inform policies that aim to reduce the substitution of ride-sourcing for public transit, which can worsen both congestion and emissions.

Keywords:

• Ride-sourcing
• public transit
• substitution
• structural equation model
• transportation network company

Author contributions

The authors confirm contribution to the paper as follows: study conception and design P. Loa, S.M. Mashrur; analysis and interpretation of results: P. Loa and S.M. Mashrur; draft manuscript preparation: P. Loa and S.M. Mashrur. Overall supervision and reviews K.N. Habib. All authors reviewed the results and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Acknowledgments

The study was also made possible by the decision of ride-sourcing companies to share trip records for this research through the research contract. The authors, however, are solely responsible for all errors and interpretations. The authors would like to thank the three anonymous reviewers for their valuable feedback and insightful comments, as well as Sanjana Hossain for her assistance during our use of the OpenTripPlanner API.

Notes

1 The survey was approved by the University of Toronto’s Research Ethics Board (REB) under the REB protocol #37512

Additional information

Funding

The funding for this study was partially provided by a research contract with the City of Toronto.