Shared cars, gendered patterns: The case of Montréal, Canada

Source abstract

• Analysed carsharing reservations in Montreal to understand gender-based usage differences. • Women make fewer stops per reservation, challenging traditional mobility patterns. • Women travel shorter distances but spend more time per reservation than men. • Contextual factors influence men’s and women’s carsharing behaviours differently. • Suburban women’s carsharing patterns vary distinctly across locations. While carsharing is used more by men than women, little is known about how gender shapes carsharing patterns. Accordingly, this study examines how gender shapes usage patterns. Using Montreal carsharing data, the study analyses distance, duration, and stops per reservation through descriptive statistics, regressions and gender-stratified models. Descriptive statistics show that women, compared to men, travel shorter distances, make fewer stops, yet spend more time per reservation. Multilevel regression analyses confirm these statistically significant gender differences. Women’s shorter distances and longer reservation times may lead to higher costs per kilometre under some pricing structures. Gender-stratified models reveal both gender-specific and shared patterns: women show varied suburban travel patterns, higher residential area income increases men’s distances compared to lower-income areas but has little effect on women’s distances, while both genders show similar temporal patterns. Findings underscore the need for continued research into equitable mobility systems across different contexts.