Understanding Use of Transport Network Companies(TNC) in Virginia

This study deals with a) Understanding familiarity with transportation network companies (TNCs) and their use frequency b) Understanding travel choices in alcohol-related situations in Virginia. Ordered logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with the respondents perceived familiarity with transportation network companies (TNCs) and use frequency. Based on the two models, the consistent factors were using a mobile wallet, a cell phone for entertainment, an app for taxi services, or an app for hotel booking/air transport arrangements, living in Northern Virginia, normally using multiple transportation modes for a single trip, higher education levels, and higher household income which were associated with increased TNC familiarity and use frequency. Self-identifying as White/Caucasian was also associated with increased TNC use frequency. Increased age was associated with decreasing TNC familiarity and use frequency. Subsequently, travel choices in alcohol related situations were studied with the objective of understanding the role of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) in these situations and whether they have an impact on DUIs. For this objective, this study analyzes travel-choices associated with three scenarios alcohol related situations: (a) the last time the respondent consumed alcohol, (b) when avoiding driving after drinking, and (c) when avoiding riding with a driver who had been drinking. Multinomial Logistic Regression models were developed for all the three scenarios. For model (a), significant factors included use of a personal vehicle to arrive at the location where last consuming alcohol, being comfortable with having a credit card tied to a cell phone app, age, income, travelling alone when leaving the location where last consuming alcohol, having the highest educational attainment of high school graduate (GED), consumption of alcohol at bar/tavern/club, consumption of alcohol at home of friends/acquaintance place, and transportation network company (TNC – e.g., Uber, Lyft) weekly use frequency. For (b), use of a personal vehicle to arrive at the location where last consuming alcohol, consumption of alcohol at a bar/tavern/club, consumption of alcohol at the home of friends/acquaintance place, comfort with tying of credit card to apps, age, gender, income, multi-modal travel for a regular trip, TNC weekly use frequency, and use of an app for hotel reservations and/or air transportation arrangements are significant factors. For (c), use of a personal vehicle to arrive at the location where last consuming alcohol, walking to the location where last consuming alcohol, consumption of alcohol at a bar/tavern/club, comfort with tying a credit card to apps, age, income, TNC weekly use frequency, previously riding in a car with a driver who may have drunk too much to drive safely, and being employed full time are the significant factors.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Civil Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Lahkar, Paranjyoti

Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair

• Hancock, Kathleen L.
• Murray-Tuite, Pamela Marie

Committee member dc:contributor.committeemember

• Heaslip, Kevin Patrick

• Transportation Network Companies
• Virginia

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:15874

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/83896