Hongyu Zheng

PhD Candidate

Northwestern University

Abstract:

In recent years, shared mobility service (SMoS) systems have emerged as a driving force behind transportation innovations. By better leveraging existing transportation facilities and resources through collaborative usage, SMoS systems promise to enhance accessibility, promote sustainability, and reduce transportation costs. Effective resource sharing requires not only compatible business models and sensible policy initiatives, but also analytical and computational tools that support design and operational decisions. At present, however, these institutional and technological apparatus remain in their infancy. The rise and fall of dockless bike-sharing in China offered a cautionary tale of the delicacy and complexity in SMoS systems, as well as the peril of leaving their development completely to unregulated markets. Partly inspired by this saga, in this presentation, I will address two design and regulation questions – why the market fails at its early stage and how the governor can regulate the market to make it sustainable – through developing and analyzing a stylized model.


Bio:

Hongyu Zheng is a Ph.D. candidate in Transportation System Analysis and Planning at Northwestern University, advised by Prof. Yu (Marco) Nie. Prior to joining Northwestern, Hongyu obtained an M.S. degree with honor in Transportation and a B.E. degree in Civil Engineering, both from Zhejiang University (ZJU). Hongyu was awarded the National Scholarship multiple times throughout his time at ZJU. Recently, he received the Bob Camillone Memorial Scholarship from ASCE Transportation & Development Institute, as well as the Transportation Center Dissertation Year Fellowship from Northwestern University. Hongyu’s research focuses on shared mobility, transportation automation, and electrification. Drawing tools and knowledge from transportation science, game theory, operations research, and machine learning, he aims to build an efficient, sustainable, and equitable urban transportation system that benefits everyone.

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