Understanding transit, ridehail and micro mobility use among low-income mobility wallet recipients
ONGOING |
Transportation Technologies:
Business Models, Universal Basic MobilityImpacts:
Accessibility, Municipal Budgets, Transportation Systems Operations (and Efficiency)Problem Statement
LA Metro is providing financial support to 1,000 low-income people to support their use of transit, ridehailing, scooters, bicycles, and other shared services as a part of their universal basic mobility efforts. In the previous pilot phase, most funds went towards transit and ridehailing services, raising concerns about whether ridehailing may replace transit trips. Collecting and analyzing observed data about participants' travel behavior is needed to understand this relationship.Outcomes & Deliverables
The research team will work with NREL to design a customized survey and data collection approach using the OpenPath app to collect and analyze travel behavior among wallet recipients. This research will help understand travel frequency and modal use during the program. The team will produce a brief about the initial findings from the data collection pilot and a final report detailing participants’ travel behavior during and after receiving the mobility wallet. Overall, this research will provide insights into a new and novel approach to addressing transportation affordability. The study will highlight which challenges mobility wallets can address and how agencies can evaluate their effectiveness.
Researchers
Deputy Director
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies