Article

Gender, midfare, and the role of autonomous vehicles

Author

Zhong Haotian, Associate Professor, School of Public Administration and Policy, RUC

Abstract

Autonomous vehicles are expected to reshape travel experiences by enabling more productive or enjoyable uses of travel time. However, how such changes might affect mobility inequality in cities remain largely untested due to the uncertainty of the technology and the lack of valid measures of its impact. We develop a conceptual framework for understanding the disposable time produced by riding in autonomous vehicles using the midfare perspective. We then propose a method of measurement using an entropy-based index to measure the distributional effect of time use within autonomous vehicles, and apply it to a nationwide survey of people's potential engagement with in-vehicle activities. We examine whether autonomous vehicles can play a role in relaxing the space and time constraints for women's daily life in cities as a proof of concept.