Multi-Objective Optimization of a Ridesharing System Performance
[Thesis]
Azadani, Mohammad Nasr
Martinelli, David
West Virginia University
2020
112
M.Sc.
West Virginia University
2020
Ridesharing is a shared vehicle service with the potential to meet the growing travel demand due to population increase, economic growth, and shortage in transportation infrastructure capacity. Compared to the current system of predominantly using personal vehicles, ridesharing services reduce the number of vehicles while providing mobility services to the same number of people with no additional investment in the transportation infrastructure. One of the big challenges in implementing ridesharing services is matching drivers and riders. Conflicts between matching-objectives to comply with the interests of diverse stakeholders influence the efficiency of ridesharing in a transportation system. This study investigates the conflicts between two ridesharing matching-objectives minimization of systemwide Trip Time (TT) and minimization of systemwide Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) by adopting a multi-objective optimization technique. The optimization results indicate that it is possible to have an acceptable reduction in TT and VMT by optimizing the conflicts between conflicting objectives in a ridesharing system. Tradeoff analysis indicates the benefits of a multi-objective optimization model in a ridesharing system by optimizing ridesharing system performance considering multiple conflicting matching-objectives.