Connectivity and the New Mobility Revolution

By Brian Thompson, Director, Business Development

While it’s easy to believe that the new mobility revolution is defined by a flood of new transportation modes. We tend to forget, however, that the shared mobility systems that we often refer to as “new”—including ride, car, and bike-share—significantly predated smart phones and, in some cases, the internet. Cities have had bike share systems since the 1960s and battery-powered taxis (yes, electric!) were introduced in London in 1897. It’s not the existence of these systems that make them new, but how we connect and interact with our shared transportation systems that is truly revolutionary.  

As a defining feature of the modern world, connectivity has significantly improved many aspects of our lives, few more so than transportation. Navigating public transit systems is complex. The inconvenient mobility gaps that existed due to a lack of access and information about more flexible “first and last mile” transportation options were quickly mitigated by a variety of digital tools. Easy-to-use wayfinding systems and a flood of new shared mobility systems are predominantly accessed using mobile apps.  

While early transit and shared mobility apps enabled users to view schedules, plan trips, track vehicles, book rides and pay for a single transportation mode, the trend is toward apps that offer multimodal and multiagency trips. Trip segments are chained together and adjusted in real-time using a variety of standardized data feeds and APIs. Advanced algorithms can now produce very complex trip itineraries that allow the traveler to select an option that meets their individual time, comfort, and cost constraints.

Photo by Emmanuel Ikwuegbu on Unsplash

Mobility as a Service (MaaS)

The growth in the availability of shared transportation options gave rise to the term Mobility as a Service (MaaS). MaaS digital platforms allow users to plan a trip, book their ride, and pay for multiple mobility services on a single platform. By delivering a level of reliability and convenience that was once believed to only be attainable with one’s own car, increasing numbers of people now have the confidence to leave their cars at home or abandon car ownership all together, yet still have timely access to the transportation they need to live their lives.

As commuters and others ditch cars and adopt MaaS as their primary means of transportation they share a significant amount of information about their behavior. From their desired origins and destinations to their times and modes of travel, this data is the story of how we move about in our lives.

The Importance of Data and Customer Relationships in Transit

While public transit systems have always had methods of gathering rider feedback and know generally who is riding where, these new platforms provide richer, real-time data that can be leveraged by savvy transportation analysts. This data includes not only trip planning, fare payment, customer mode preferences and other rider behavior, but also insights into trips planned but never taken due to timeliness, lack of service, or for a myriad of other reasons. This data has never been so easily available at such scale to forward-thinking agencies, who use it to improve their service offering to meet an ever-changing need for mobility.

The value of this data has spurred the creation of numerous non-agency branded trip planning or MaaS platform providers and the desire of private transportation network companies (TNCs) to integrate transit offerings into their platforms. Some of these platforms have been endorsed by agencies under the guise of providing free or “freemium” trip planning functionality to their riders. While there are certain benefits to public agencies of working with these private entities, there is also the potential for their riders’ data to be used to support interests which may run counter to the best interests of the community it serves.

Additionally, by adopting or endorsing these “freemium” solutions, agencies are giving up control over the relationship they have with their riders. This is happening at a time when there have never been better opportunities for agencies to engage with riders. Among other perils, ignoring this relationship and relinquishing control over the information delivered to riders opens door to trip search algorithms potentially favoring less sustainable modes over transit.

Photo by YEH CHE WEI on Unsplash

Public Transit: Hub of Shared Mobility Ecosystem

Public transit agencies have a unique opportunity to serve as the hubs of their local mobility ecosystems. This opportunity includes the development and promotion of MaaS programs that balance the need for timely and efficient trip itineraries with the public interest and initiatives of their local city or region. While it is important for users to have choices, adopting or endorsing platforms that encourage behavior that runs counter to a city or region’s initiatives, which likely includes reducing congestion and providing safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists, may not be in the community’s best interests.

Just as private shared mobility providers are leveraging data provided by their users to improve their services, public transit agencies need the same opportunity without having to buy their data back from companies that claim to be on their side.

Transit agencies must put themselves back in the operator’s seat as they drive their riders’ mobility experience and not be distracted by offers of low-cost or “freemium” services in exchange for the relationship with their ridership, and the valuable data they provide.