Browsing by Author "Ettelman, Benjamin L."
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- Older Drivers and Transportation Network Companies: Investigating Opportunities for Increased Safety and Improved MobilityTooley, Melissa; Zmud, Johanna; Ettelman, Benjamin L.; Moran, Maarit M.; Higgins, Laura L.; Shortz, Ashley; Wheeler, Eric (SAFE-D: Safety Through Disruption National University Transportation Center, 2019-06)Transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft offer an increasingly popular alternative to driving a personal vehicle. This project investigated the potential of TNCs to increase the safety and enhance the mobility of older adults who are experiencing a decline in driving ability. Interviews with commercial and non-profit transportation providers and focus groups of adults ranging from age 65 to over 85 identified attitudes and perceptions toward TNCs and related services targeting senior adults, as well as ongoing barriers to TNC use by this demographic. Barriers include insufficient familiarity and comfort with using smartphone applications, a lack of knowledge among older adults about how TNCs operate, and lack of availability of TNC services in many rural areas. Increased availability of TNC services targeted toward older adults may help to overcome some of these barriers. The project team developed outreach and education materials for older adults on how to access and use TNC services.
- Safety Perceptions of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) by the Blind and Visually ImpairedSimek, Christopher L.; Higgins, Laura L.; Sener, Ipek Nese; Moran, Maarit M.; Geiselbrecht, TIna S.; Hansen, Todd W.; Walk, Michael J.; Ettelman, Benjamin L.; Plunkett, Michelle (SAFE-D: Safety Through Disruption National University Transportation Center, 2018-10)For individuals that are visually impaired, access to safe and reliable transportation can be a significant challenge. The limited menu of mobility options can culminate in a reduced quality of life and more difficulty accessing housing and employment, relative to sighted individuals. Transportation network companies (TNCs, or ridesharing companies) have emerged as a new mode of travel that has the potential to increase access to transportation for the visually impaired. The opportunities and challenges for TNC use by individuals with blindness or visual impairment has not been widely studied. The goal of this research is to use both qualitative and quantitative methods to identify how this community perceives the safety of TNCs relative to other travel modes, and how they utilize TNCs for safe travel. The findings suggest that TNCs are used by a significant proportion of this population. The findings also suggest that one’s experience (or lack thereof) with TNC use has a strong influence on the safety perceptions of this new mode of travel. Finally, while TNCs present an opportunity for riders that are visually impaired to become more engaged in myriad activities, there are still areas in which ridesharing companies can make improvements.