What about free-floating carsharing? A look at the Montréal case

In recent years carsharing has become a practical, ecological, and economical alternative to private car ownership all around the world. Traditional carsharing is station-based, but recently new types of shared services have appeared, and one of these is free-floating carsharing. It is more flexible, but what is its impact on user behavior? This paper aims to characterize the use of the free-floating carsharing service in central Montreal (Canada). We compare the use of the traditional, station-based service and the new service. Some people are members of both services, so we are able to examine the specific contribution of each service to meeting travel needs. We also explore the impact of the introduction of this new transportation alternative. The results show that, compared with traditional carsharing, more women are members of the free-floating service, and the trip distances and durations are much shorter. Shopping is the most important activity, and there is a concentration of trip ends near the central business district in the midday period. When asked what mode they would have used in the absence of the free-floating service, the users mentioned public transit, taxis, and walking; the popularity of these alternatives varies, probably in relation to seasonal changes. Further studies are required to measure the environmental impact of this new transportation mode.