Combining Public transit and Ride Sharing in rural Transport

The overall objective of this project is to stimulate a cost-effective upscaling of public subsidized ridesharing to facilitate a more efficient, sustainable and inclusive transport system in rural areas. Approximately one-third of Norway's population faces limited access to public transportation, characterized by infrequent services. This is typically in what we here will define as rural areas, that is areas with low density. In this project we will study three different and innovative business models for ridesharing that are being piloted in three different regions of Norway (Vestland, Trøndelag and Agder). These solutions stand out from earlier ridesharing solutions in two ways: they are publicly subsidized, and they target rural areas. The project has five sub-objectives, to: i) gain in-depth understanding on the mechanisms for adoption of ridesharing, ii) gain knowledge on how it impacts car use, travel behaviour and accessibility, iii) optimize ridesharing in tandem with rural public transport to improve the overall mobility and welfare of rural transport users, and reduce the external costs of passenger transport, iv) identify barriers and success factors for upscaling of ridesharing, and v) provide stakeholders with resources and tools to amplify an upscaling of ridesharing. To reach these objectives, we will use rigorous mixing of methods and data (e.g. focus groups, surveys, geocoded user-data, land use statistics). By taking advantage of already collected data we will develop panel studies that will allow us to measure and provide knowledge on the effects of ridesharing on travel behaviour, emissions, accessibility and potential rebounds effects. Critical stakeholders are included in the project - ranging from public transport providers, ridesharing companies to county and municipal levels. Our collaborative approach is designed to bridge the gap between knowledge generation and practical applications.

On-demand ridesharing and shared mobility solutions increase vehicles occupancy and have the potential to revolutionize the transport system in rural areas, making it more environmentally friendly, more economically viable and more socially sustainable. This project will provide knowledge on and tools to stimulate a cost-effective upscaling of ridesharing in rural areas. We will do so by studying three different and innovative business models for ridesharing that are being piloted in three different regions of Norway (Vestlandet, Trøndelag and Agder). These solutions stand out from earlier ridesharing solutions in two ways: they are publicly subsidized, and they target rural areas. The overall objective is to stimulate a cost-effective upscaling of public subsidized ridesharing to facilitate a more efficient, sustainable and inclusive transport system in rural areas, by i) gain in-depth understanding on the mechanisms for adoption of ridesharing, ii) gain knowledge on how it impacts car use, travel behaviour and accessibility, iii) optimize ridesharing in tandem with rural public transport to improve the overall mobility and welfare of rural transport users, and reduce the external costs of passenger transport, iv) identify barriers and success factors for upscaling, and v) to provide stakeholders with resources and tools to amplify an upscaling of ridehsaring. This objective addresses the knowledge needs of the collaborative partners and knowledge gaps in the literature. Our project is tailored to reach this objective through a sound theoretical framework, integrated method design, unique data sets (paneldata with a treatment and reference group and user data with gps, combined with land use statistics), as well as qualitative data (e.g focus group interviews and workshops), and an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral consortium, consisting of research institutes, universities and public sector actors.