Growth in urban population is directly correlated with growth in traffic congestion, and most large U.S. cities are experiencing this phenomenon. Traffic congestion causes not only traffic jams but also economic losses, such as waste of fuel, (Schrank et al., 2015; INRIX, 2018) and changes to our travel behaviors. For instance, as demand for public transportation may be on the decline, the demand for ride-sharing services have increased.

Travel behavior differs by income class and also by age-cohorts. With the introduction and success of services like Uber, Lyft, and others, this study is attempting to understand the travel behaviors of two of age-cohorts in the United States, the Millennials and the Generation X’ers, in order to mitigate traffic congestion. Researchers will survey users of ride-hailing, ride-sharing, and ride-matching services in the Southeastern United States to obtain new primary data for the two age-cohorts. They will also analyze the primary data to determine if there is a cause and effect and to make recommendations to reduce traffic congestion. Specific results such as 1) evaluation of travel behaviors, 2) cause and effect of generation shift and technology development, and 3) the correlation between travel behaviors and socio-demographic, economic, urbanization factors, will contribute to the safety, sustainability, and economic efficiency of the future transportation system.

For more information on this project, contact:

Dr. Abhinav Alakshendra
Department of Urban & Regional Planning
University of Florida
shendra@dcp.ufl.edu