Irvine : Study Says Economics Plays Role in Car Pools

Despite national efforts to increase car-pooling, just one in 12 commuting workers ever is likely to share a ride, according to a UC Irvine researcher.

Dr. Roger Teal, a UCI assistant professor of civil engineering, reported results of a study of ride-sharers in a recent issue of Transportation Research. The study, funded by a grant from the University of California Institute of Transportation Studies, analyzed data involving 22,000 commuting workers from more than 18,000 households across the United States.

Teal said he found that in households with at least one vehicle per worker, 83% of the commuters drove alone, and that two-thirds of this group indicated they had no economic motive to car-pool.

Commuters who shared rides made longer trips, had lower incomes and owned fewer vehicles than those who drove to work alone, Teal said.

“Contrary to some previous studies, attitude alone does not determine who car-pools,” Teal said. “Other factors--primarily economic factors--play an equally important role.”