Ride-pooling efficiency in large, medium-sized and small towns: Simulation assessment in the Munich metropolitan region

Abstract

This study introduces an autonomous ride-pooling service to six communities with varying population sizes and trip densities in the Munich Metropolitan Region. We investigate a laissez-faire scenario without additional policies, defining the modal shift through an incremental mode choice model. Additionally, a draconian scenario in which each within- city car trip is replaced by ride-pooling is analyzed. Results indicate a logarithmic increase in system efficiency with increasing trip densities. While the results confirm the potential of ride-pooling systems to reduce private car fleets drastically, a reduction of traveled km is identified for scenarios with more than 1,000 requests per km 2 per day.