Abstract Manager

The City of Toronto’s Vehicle-for-Hire (VFH) Transportation Impact Study provides critical insights the taxi and ridehailing industry, uncovering key travel behaviours and their role within Toronto’s evolving mobility ecosystem. This study was initiated by City Council to support the development of policies regulating the VFH industry.

The study consists of two components: (1) a quantitative analysis of data from ridehailing and taxi services and (2) a representative survey of Toronto residents.

The quantitative analysis investigates trends in travel patterns in the "new normal" period following the pandemic and evaluates the sector's impacts on the transportation network. Isolating the direct effects of VFH services on traffic proved challenging due to the influence of other concurrent changes in the network. To address this, ridehail data was used to model how travel behaviours might shift in the absence of these services in the Greater Toronto Area.

To complement ridehail data, a survey of over 1,000 Toronto residents was conducted to explore trip-making patterns involving VFH services. The survey examined whether these services complement or compete with transit and evaluates their impact on transit ridership, car ownership, and attitudes toward sustainable mobility policies. By incorporating innovative design features—such as comparing between urban vs. suburban contexts, attitudinal metrics, and demographic weighting—the study offers valuable insights for guiding City Council in regulating the industry.

Key Findings:

• The estimated impact of VFH services on overall traffic and transit ridership
• The ways in which VFH services complement or compete with transit in urban and suburban contexts
• Their role in reducing private car ownership and supporting first-mile/last-mile connectivity

By integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches, the study provides a comprehensive understanding to inform decisions about regulating the supply of VFH services in Toronto. This research establishes a benchmark for evidence-based decision-making and offers a clearer view of how VFH services influence the city’s transit landscape and broader mobility goals.