Shared Mobility and the Transformation of Public Transit

Abstract

This report examines the relationship of public transportation (including paratransit and demand-responsive services) to shared modes, including bikesharing, carsharing, microtransit, and ridesourcing services provided by companies such as Uber and Lyft. This report is designed to assist transit agencies in examining issues and exploring opportunities and challenges as they relate to technology-enabled mobility services, including suggesting ways that transit can learn from, build upon, and interface with these new modes. The study draws on several sources of information: in-depth interviews with transportation officials; a survey of shared mobility users; analysis of transit and ridesourcing capacity, demand, and comparative travel times; an assessment of practices and regulations relating to paratransit provision; and a compilation of current business models and public-private partnerships that build on new technologies from the emerging shared mobility sector. The surveys and interviews were conducted in seven cities: Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC. The report presents five key findings: among survey respondents, greater use of shared modes is associated with greater likelihood to use transit frequently, own fewer cars, and have reduced transportation spending; shared modes largely complement public transit, enhancing urban mobility; because shared modes are expected to continue growing in significance, public entities should identify opportunities to engage with them to ensure that benefits are widely and equitably shared; the public sector and private mobility operators are eager to collaborate to improve paratransit using emerging approaches and technology; and a number of business models are emerging that include new forms of public-private partnership for provision of mobility and related information services. This report concludes by presenting actions that public entities can take to promote useful cooperation between public and private mobility providers. It also suggests regulatory enhancements, institutional realignments, and forms of public-private engagement that would allow innovation to flourish while still providing mobility as safely, broadly, and equitably as possible.