Date of Award
May 2020
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Urban Studies
First Advisor
Lingqian Hu
Committee Members
Joel Rast, Anne Bonds
Keywords
Lyft, Public Transportation, Ridehailing, Transportation Network Company, Uber
Abstract
Transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft position themselves as a complement—rather than a detriment—to existing public transportation. Since the launch of TNCs, however, public transit ridership in major cities has steadily declined. This severely impacts economically disconnected residents, who often do not own automobiles and therefore rely on public transportation. The decline of public transit, coupled with the growth of TNCs, thus begs the question: Do TNC services complement or substitute public transportation in serving economically disconnected urban residents? Using data from the American Community Survey and new TNC data from the City of Chicago, this paper maps the destinations of rides originating on Chicago’s Far South Side to analyze travel patterns of low-income individuals. The paper concludes that TNCs are a first mile/last mile solution for the economically disconnected and asks policymakers to improve high-quality transit service and consider public-private partnerships in transit-poor areas.
Recommended Citation
O'Brien, Kelly Marie, "Transportation Network Company (TNC) Ridehailing Travel Patterns in Chicago’s Economically Disconnected Areas" (2020). Theses and Dissertations. 3312.
https://dc.uwm.edu/etd/3312
Included in
Transportation Commons, Urban, Community and Regional Planning Commons, Urban Studies and Planning Commons