Ride-hailing: Regulation & Collaboration UCLA’s experience in leveraging the benefits and curbing the negatives of the ride-hailing mobility option. Abdallah Daboussi UCLA Transportation CHESC 2018 July 10th, 2018

Background 45,000 students; 32,000 employees Campus located in a relatively dense urban environment Limited parking on campus ~23,000 spaces with approximately 95% utilization rate Resident students granted parking only by exception Newer generation veering away from automobile ownership and use Population tech savvy

Result: Environment Ripe for Ride-Hailing Use 38,000 weekly pick-ups and drop-offs at UCLA in Winter 2017 68,000 weekly pick-ups and drop-offs in Fall of 2017 Over 90,000 pick-ups and drop-offs that take place on UCLA’s campus property every week

Issues Multiple ride-hailing vehicles stopping in unauthorized areas throughout the day Disrupting the smooth flow of traffic Increasing the chance for a collision, especially when stops are sudden Blocking fire lanes Uncertainty on passenger pick-up location leads to erratic driving behavior Driver is distracted, and drives very slowly to locate passenger Illegal U-Turns Queuing up or driving through undesirable locations Present in areas with high pedestrian concentration Congestion and campus aesthetics

Result: directive from senior administration to devise A solution

Most Practical Solution: Pick-Up locations scattered across campus (Regulation) Airports already implemented similar system Needed a university friendly model Pilot Effort: Commencement 2017 Results Drop-offs uncontrolled

Challenges Student body Input Accustomed to the hyper-convenience that ride-hailing offers Safety concerns at night Ability for disabled students to access the locations Initial Resistance from ride-hailing providers Concerned with user experience

Addressing the Challenges Designated12 locations situated across campus Each part of campus was no more than a 5-minute walk to any of the designated locations Walk-shed analysis Limited hours the geo-fence was live Worked with the Center for Accessible Education to ensure equitable access Added two more locations over the months based on campus community feedback (for a total of 14)

Before Safety Initiative

After Safety Initiative

Specific use cases Basketball Games Commencement 2018 Created a mini geo-fence to encompass high traffic area near Pauley Pavilion Tested the feasibility of a ride-hailing staging area in a parking structure Commencement 2018 Created locations near major venues and dormitories, as well as the utilization of Parking Structure 8

Basketball geo-fence

Commencement 2018 Geo-fence

Drivers and passengers waiting in the staging area

Drivers and Passengers Waiting in the Staging Area

Commuting Partnership (Collaboration) Already popular mobility option Especially within 5 miles UCLA has preference for shared mobility vs single occupancy Ride-hailing Private Automobile Ride-hailing entities in head on battle Despite heavy losses, willing to offer discounts for market share University partnerships offer good PR

destination heatmap

Details of the Pilot Program $5.99 flat fare UberPool only 5 mile radius Available to anyone with a UCLA email alias 24/7 2/1/18-6/17/18 No promotion of Uber’s main competitor (Lyft)

Final Remarks Regulating pick-ups for ride-hailing becoming best practice Airports Other Universities Cities Increasing in relevance as a standard mobility option Best to work with them, assuring mutual interests respected Potential exists to reduce single occupancy vehicle usage, paving the way for a more sustainable ride-hailing presence

Thank You!