Equitable Carsharing: Attaining Electric Vehicle Carsharing within Boston's Low-Income Communities
Good, Albert.
2019
-
Low-income residents in the United States are paying
disproportional amounts of their income on transportation due to inaccessibility
of public transit. To help overcome this inequality, carsharing has been proposed
as an alternative form of transportation to assist low-income residents with their
transportation needs while also reducing the amount of income spent on
transportation. This does ... read morenot come without its challenges however, as currently,
commercial carsharing operations have not found a sustainable business model for
carsharing to serve the low-income communities. The few companies that are focused
on serving the low-income communities are often non-profits with small memberships
and insufficient resources, furthering the need for a sustainable business model
to be found. This thesis will identify any barriers that exist within the
carsharing realm and recommend how to successfully implement a carsharing service
within a low-income community. To realize the full potential of carsharing, and
its benefits to the low-income community, incorporating an electric vehicle aspect
to the carsharing model will decrease operational costs associated, like fuel,
while reducing the rate structure for a carsharing service. To provide an
all-encompassing thesis pertaining to electric vehicle carsharing, a pilot
community of Boston, Massachusetts was chosen because no previous low-income
carshare has existed there and due to the personal connection to the community. To
implement an electric vehicle carsharing service, a literature review on the
subject matter identifying the barriers on an electric vehicle carsharing service
was discussed. A geographic information system analysis was evaluated on the
Boston, MA community to display where in Boston the most successful location for
such a carsharing service would be. Additionally, three case studies were examined
to report on the operational mechanisms, demographics, typical trips made, and any
additional metrics were discussed for an electric vehicle carshare service within
a low-income community. Finally, policy and implementation recommendations were
made that can assist the carsharing service in finding success within a low-income
community. The policy recommendations for implementing an electric vehicle
carsharing service included incentives for electric vehicle carsharing,
progressive taxes, and designating carsharing parking spots. Implementation
recommendations for such a carsharing service included planning for strategic
partnerships, pricing structures, insurance, and storefront
access.
Thesis (M.A.)--Tufts University, 2019.
Submitted to the Dept. of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning.
Advisor: Sheldon Krimsky.
Committee: Ann Rappaport.
Keywords: Urban planning, Transportation, and Environmental studies.read less - ID:
- 2f75rn19t
- To Cite:
- TARC Citation Guide EndNote
