A new outlook on ridehailing: spatiotemporal patterns and commuting analysis from the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area

Emerging mobility services are revolutionizing travel, sparking worldwide research interest. Analysis and modelling efforts are hindered, however, by the absence of these modes in traditional travel surveys. For the first time in 2016, the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area included ridehailing as a mode in its Transportation Tomorrow Survey. This paper makes use of this novel data source to conduct analyses of spatiotemporal demand patterns, occupancy, trip rates, and roundtrip commuting patterns. Findings from this paper provide evidence against the current view of ridehailing being a “niche market” mode. It has been found that while ridehailing demand is concentrated within the CBD, it is also widespread throughout the GTHA. Additionally, suburban zones are consistently balanced in terms of origin/destination differences, hinting towards roundtrip travel patterns. Moreover, 22% of ridehailing users show roundtrip commuting patterns for work and school trip purposes. The analyses performed in this paper are framed as a first step towards modelling, and preliminary modelling considerations are suggested.