GIS-based identification and assessment of suitable meeting point locations for ride-sharing

Ride-Sharing or carpooling is a common means to utilize available but so far unused vehicle seat capacity. To establish a shared ride, it is necessary that the driver and the passengers agree on a meeting point. In most existing applications, the pickup location of a passenger is assumed to be on his or her doorstep. However, many people are willing to walk a certain distance to meet at a place where a safe and convenient boarding can be established, while at the same time the necessary detour of the driver can be kept acceptable. In this contribution we introduce an assessment scheme for meeting point locations based on results of an online survey retrieving the stated acceptance of meeting point locations and the relevance of the available facilities like parking places, seating, shelter and light. To this end, the infrastructure of a medium-sized European city is assumed to show exemplary how the amount and the distribution of suitable meeting point locations affects the performance and convenience of ride-sharing