Lyft, Inc.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UTILIZING CONSTRAINED MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

Abstract:

The disclosed computer-implemented method may include efficiently surfacing the availability of constrained transportation options such that the utilization of those options is at least partially maximized and directed to users for whom the options would be a positive user experience. During busy times, requests for transportation with a high estimated arrival time and/or to a low-demand area may not be the most efficient matches for constrained transportation options such as autonomous vehicles. Instead, waiting for a transportation request with a lower estimated arrival time and/or to a higher-demand area may be a better choice in terms of maximizing the percentage of time an autonomous vehicle spends transporting passengers and reducing the time passengers spend waiting for an autonomous vehicle. In some embodiments, dynamically altering the mode-availability radius of an autonomous vehicle may increase the utilization of the autonomous vehicle. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.