Do Built Environment Factors Have Different Effects on Ridesourcing Usage Before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic?

25 Pages Posted: 7 Jan 2023

See all articles by Tanhua Jin

Tanhua Jin

Ghent University - Faculty of Sciences

Long Cheng

Ghent University

Sicheng Wang

Michigan State University

Jun Cao

Southeast University - School of Architecture

Tim Schwanen

Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford

Frank Witlox

Ghent University

Date Written: October 7, 2022

Abstract

Ridesourcing has developed rapidly in recent years and has had a transformative impact on travel behavior and urban mobility. However, studies on how COVID-19 influences the utilization of ridesourcing are scarce. This study analyzes the spatiotemporal difference in ridesourcing usage before and after the pandemic, and the differential impacts of built environment factors on ridesourcing usage using real-world trip data in Chicago. Results show average ridesourcing usage in the post-pandemic period failed to recover to pre-pandemic trip volumes by June 2022. Generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) are applied to analyze the nonlinear built environment effects on ridesourcing usage. The effects of population density, intersection density, land use mix, population employment balance index, and bus accessibility on ridesourcing pick-up usage post pandemic are significantly different compared to pre pandemic. For example, population density had an overall positive effect pre pandemic. However, a significant negative effect was observed in areas with extremely high population density post pandemic. The positive effect of land use mix before the pandemic also turns into a negative effect after the pandemic. It seems that COVID-19 is having long-term effects on ridesourcing usage, at least in Chicago. Relevant policies and tailored land-use interventions should be updated in the post-pandemic era.

Keywords: ridesourcing, travel behavior analysis, COVID-19, generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs), nonlinearity, shared mobility

Suggested Citation

Jin, Tanhua and Cheng, Long and Wang, Sicheng and Cao, Jun and Schwanen, Tim and Witlox, Frank, Do Built Environment Factors Have Different Effects on Ridesourcing Usage Before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic? (October 7, 2022). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4318708 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4318708

Tanhua Jin (Contact Author)

Ghent University - Faculty of Sciences ( email )

Krijgslaan 281
Ghent, B-9000
Belgium

Long Cheng

Ghent University ( email )

Sicheng Wang

Michigan State University ( email )

Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1122
United States

Jun Cao

Southeast University - School of Architecture

Tim Schwanen

Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford ( email )

Frank Witlox

Ghent University ( email )

Coupure Links 653
Ghent, 9000
Belgium

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