Exploring spatiotemporal characteristics of ride-hailing ridership connecting with metro stations: A comparative analysis of holidays, weekdays, and weekends

Abstract

Ride-hailing services offer practical solutions for addressing “first- and last-mile” connectivity challenges at metro stations. While previous research has explored the spatiotemporal patterns of metro station-based ride-hailing ridership (MBRR) on weekdays and weekends, it has largely overlooked the unique dynamics of holiday periods. Furthermore, the influence of the built environment on first-mile MBRR (FM-MBRR) and last-mile MBRR (LM-MBRR) has received insufficient attention. To address these gaps, this study investigates the characteristics of MBRR across regular weekdays, weekends, Valentine's Day, and the Spring Festival. We employed ordinary least squares (OLS) and spatial lag regression (SLR) models to analyze the impact of the built environment on MBRR at the station level. Using data from Shenzhen, our findings reveal that: 1) Metro station-based ride-hailing is predominantly used for accessing metro stations, with FM-MBRR consistently exceeding LM-MBRR. 2) The Spring Festival results in a decrease in MBRR, while Valentine's Day exhibits an increase in post-work activity and nighttime MBRR. 3) On Valentine's Day, travel distance positively influences FM-MBRR, reflecting longer ride-hailing trips for holiday-related activities. During the Spring Festival, tourist attractions significantly influence both FM-MBRR and LM-MBRR, highlighting the role of tourism in shaping holiday mobility patterns. These findings provide valuable insights for integrating ride-hailing services with metro systems, emphasizing the need to account for holiday-specific dynamics and local built environment characteristics in urban transportation planning.