The Shared-Ride Taxi System Requirements Study

Field, G. J.; Potter, B. E.; Simpson, A. U.; Tuan, P. L.; Wong, P. J. · 1979 · ROSA P / United States. Urban Mass Transportation Administration

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Summary

This 1979 report, prepared by DAVE Systems, Inc. for the Urban Mass Transportation Administration, addresses the feasibility and system requirements for automated Shared-Ride Taxi (SRT) systems. The study was motivated by declining transit ridership, escalating operating losses, and the shift of populations to low-density suburbs, which rendered conventional fixed-route transit inefficient. The primary objective was to define the functional design and hardware/software requirements for a Computer Control System (CCS) capable of managing SRT operations, where taxis carry multiple passengers with different origins and destinations to improve vehicle productivity and reduce fares. The research methodology involved a four-part analysis: role definition, concept development, systems analysis, and system requirements specification. The team evaluated the economic viability of SRT across three city size scenarios (small, medium, and large) using supply, demand, and cost models. They also analyzed existing manual and automated dispatch operations to determine human performance limits and computational loads. The study utilized data from various transit agencies and taxi companies, including case studies from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Rochester, New York, to benchmark integration strategies and automation effectiveness. Key findings indicate that SRT can significantly improve vehicle productivity, increasing passenger capacity from 2–3 per taxi-hour in exclusive-ride systems to 4–6 in shared-ride systems. However, manual dispatch is limited to fleets of approximately 25 vehicles due to human cognitive constraints. The study concluded that automation is cost-effective for fleets of 50 vehicles or more. In medium-sized cities, SRT could achieve a 30% fare reduction while increasing profits by 7.5%; in large cities, fares could drop to 40% of exclusive-ride rates. Conversely, small cities faced high risks with modest benefits, suggesting subsidies might be necessary. The proposed CCS architecture included a minicomputer, digital communications, and automatic callback features, with an estimated hardware cost of $260,000 (1976 dollars) for a 50-vehicle fleet. The significance of this study lies in its comprehensive framework for integrating paratransit with conventional transit. It established that SRT serves as a vital feeder system in suburban areas, potentially attracting new ridership and improving the economic viability of both taxi operators and public transit agencies. The report recommends developmental experiments to resolve technical challenges, such as scheduling algorithms and field controls, before widespread implementation. It provides a foundational blueprint for demand-responsive transit systems, highlighting the necessity of computer automation to manage the complexity of shared-ride logistics efficiently.

Key finding

Manual dispatching is limited to approximately 25 vehicles, while a fully automated computer control system is cost-effective for shared-ride taxi fleets of 50 vehicles or more.

Methodology

review

Provenance

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