Date: June 30, 2022
Author(s): Steven King, Michaela Byrd, Richard Diaz, Ha Luong, Atsushi Seto
Abstract
Access to safe, affordable, and reliable vehicle transportation in Los Angeles (LA) is not equitably distributed. Low-income and households of color often have private vehicle access rates far lower than city-wide averages. Carsharing, the practice of users renting cars for short periods of time, has the potential to greatly improve private vehicle transportation equity in LA while also bringing other key benefits to the city.
The client for this report, the Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance, specifically wanted to examine how a peer-to-peer (P2P) carshare pilot program could be designed to maximize the benefits for LA. To research this topic, the authors of this report did an extensive literature review, conducted interviews with key stakeholders, reviewed both public and private documents from carshare companies, and performed a statistical analysis on trip data from carshare operators.
The City of LA continue and expand its partnership with the station-based carshare operator BlueLA, while also launching a new carshare pilot program in Hollywood. This neighborhood – with its high density, diverse mix of ethnicity and income levels, high visitation rate from non-residents, and excellent connections to public transit – has many ideal conditions to sustain successful P2P carshare operations. Further, the city should support this pilot program by designating up to 10 parking spaces in high-profile locations around Hollywood exclusively for P2P carshare vehicles. Lastly, the city should leverage the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority advertising infrastructure to promote P2P carshare services from providers like Getaround and Turo.
About the Project
This report partially fulfills the requirements for the Master in Public Policy degree in the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles.