New Mobility Concepts Have Implications for Transit
Publisher James Blue discusses the changing face of mobility.
by James Blue, Publisher
May 16, 2019
"Mobility as a Service” (MaaS), a term coined first in Helsinki, Finland, features a suite of new services, technologies, and legal framework to enable this integration.
Sohjoa
2 min to read
A number of articles in this issue address a variety of transit topics that reflect how the public transportation industry's agenda has shifted to a more mobility focused one. Taken together, these changes will likely alter how our industry plans, designs, and delivers services for the public. It is up to us to ensure that those changes benefit the public we serve.
What is the ‘new mobility’ anyway? Before we go further, though, let’s define terms. The New Mobility Program at University of California Los Angeles’ Institute of Transportation Studies defines it as the intersection of travel behavior, economics, engineering, regulation, and infrastructure, which has enabled technology and business forces to produce new travel options, including ride-hailing services, automated and connected vehicles, and new “micromobility” modes, such as bike- and car-sharing.
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The management consulting firm McKinsey and Company defines it as a real-time combination of travel modes, all door-to-door, supported by real-time information technologies such as smartphone apps and integrated cloud-based electronic fare-payment options. This is also increasingly called “Mobility as a Service” (MaaS), a term coined first in Helsinki, Finland, with its suite of new services, technologies, and legal framework to enable this integration.
Many of these concepts have been around for decades; even the integration of them is not really new. In fact, in the U.S. in the 1990s, the Transit Cooperative Research Program had a study track called "New Paradigms." It noticed how agencies, such as Transport for London, became less service provider and more service broker, and along the way, added real-time internet services and common fare media (Oyster card) to help facilitate more seamless use and efficient delivery. Then, Uber, Lyft, and related services, as well as Lime and other bike-share and car-share companies with their smartphone apps and ability to pay in their technologies showed us the next level of integration.
Effects on industry are profound So yes, these changes are already happening. There are opportunities, as well as threats, to these disruptive forces. New mobility can strain existing infrastructure and undermine longstanding regulations, but they also present exciting opportunities for new transit partnerships. From Los Angeles to Orlando and Detroit to New Orleans to Kansas City.
“The future is not a promise, but an achievement,” wrote Bertrand Russell many decades ago, in a simpler time. The industry's move to mobility management presents a great opportunity for us to share ideas and shape our futures together.
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Under this extension, Keolis will continue to manage and operate fixed-route bus service across the East Valley, serving communities including Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, the town of Gilbert, parts of Phoenix, and the Gila River Indian Community.
Through the strategic partnership, MOIA America will provide MOIA’s turnkey autonomous mobility solution. This includes purpose-built, autonomous-ready ID. Buzz vehicles equipped with the self-driving system developed by Mobileye, as well as operator training and enablement.
LexRide connects key destinations, including Downtown Lexington, the Distillery District, and the Warehouse Block/National Avenue area, making it easier to explore without worrying about parking, traffic, or multiple rideshare trips.
Sustainability Partners’ Arnold Albiar discusses how a service-based approach is helping airports and public agencies deploy and manage electric fleets more efficiently.
The expanded service builds on Pace’s growing On Demand network and is intended to improve access to destinations such as medical appointments, schools, shopping, employment centers and connections to the regional transit system.
An important part of the authority’s NextGen Bus Network, MARTA Reach will bring transit service directly to the rider’s location and offer a seamless link to the broader rail and bus system.
