Examining human attitudes toward shared mobility options and autonomous vehicles

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of people-s attitudes toward shared mobility options and autonomous vehicles (AVs), with a focus on the underlying patterns and potential determinants. A stated preference (SP) survey was designed and implemented in the U.S. Four sets of questions were included in the questionnaire, each focused on one unique aspect of user attitudes, including a) preferences for mobility options and lifestyle (such as overall view of driving, factors in mode choice decisions and technology engagement), b) perceived benefits and concerns of shared mobility option, c) reasons toward or against private vehicle ownership, and d) motivations for and desired features of AVs. A structural equations model was developed to identify latent attitudinal factors and examine the correlations between the latent attitudes (as the endogenous variables) and the observed covariates (including the socio-economic and demographic characteristics, and users- current mobility profile, such as mode use frequency, travel distance, and trip fare). The model identified eleven latent factors that represent various aspects of attitudes toward AVs and shared mobility options. The findings could be used by policymakers and Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) to a) recognize the users- latent attitudes, b) understand the underlying patterns of attitudes, c) implement plans and policies more efficiently, d) guide or influence users- perceptions, and e) enhance travel behavior models. This study lays the foundation for further analysis on understanding user acceptance and adoption of these emerging mobility options, which is essential to estimate the likelihood and magnitude of behavior shifts in the era of automated, connected and shared mobility. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.