Who Uses Ride-Hailing Services in the United States?

Over the past few years, ride-hailing services have rapidly gained in popularity and grown extensively in the United States (U.S.). Using data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey, this paper investigates the socio-demographic and land use factors that affect the adoption and frequency of use of ride-hailing services in the U.S.A. First, a comprehensive literature review is carried out to identify the gaps in the literature. Next, a detailed descriptive analysis is conducted to understand the key socio-demographic characteristics of the ride-hailing service users. Finally, an ordered logit (ORL) model is estimated to investigate the socio-demographic and land use factors that affect the adoption and frequency of use of ride-hailing services. Results suggest that racial differences exist in the adoption and frequency of use. Specifically, African American individuals are less likely than others to adopt and frequently use these services. People who work full time but with flexible schedules are more likely than other workers and non-workers to adopt and frequently use these services. The tendency to adopt and frequently use these services is higher among individuals in insufficient vehicle households (i.e., households with more workers than vehicles) than other individuals. The presence of children, elderly persons, or both, in the household is likely to have a negative effect on the adoption and frequency of use. Further, these services appear to have a complementary effect on public transit, indicating that collaboration efforts between transit agencies and ride-hailing service providers may help develop an integrated transportation system.