Welcome to the Shared-Use Mobility Center’s weekly guide to the most impactful news, thought-provoking articles and innovative technologies that are shaping our transportation future. We believe in sharing information, just like sharing cars, bikes, and scooters, so if there’s anything additional you’d like to see, just drop us a line.
Announcements
New White Paper for Transit Agencies: Objective-Driven Data Sharing for Transit Agencies in Mobility Partnerships
Download the Executive Summary.
A primary challenge in implementing Mobility on Demand (MOD) solutions has been reaching an agreement between public and private partners over data sharing. Drawing on lessons learned from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) MOD Sandbox program and beyond, this paper supports the decision-making process of transit agencies that are considering MOD or similar integrated mobility partnerships with private-sector mobility service providers.
Based on observations from both inside and outside the Sandbox, approaches are given to address these challenges, and subsequently, obtain and analyze the data that are necessary to meet project goals.
Recent SUMC Posts and Publications
What the first transit/TNC partnership can teach us: SUMC’s new case study surfaces the lessons agencies can learn from PSTA’s Direct Connect pilot.
SUMC is hiring!
Join a distinguished public interest organization dedicated to creating a multimodal transportation system for all: us! SUMC is looking for a Program Manager and a Program Coordinator for our Los Angeles, CA location.
View full job descriptions and apply.
Ridehailing/Carsharing/Carpooling
Jalopnik wants to help ridehail drivers figure out where Uber and Lyft’s surge pricing surges to with a new portal that gathers data on anonymized fares and their payout structure.
Check out this Globetrender interview on the future of shared transportation with Chris Snyder, CEO of Via’s microtransit joint venture with Mercedes-Benz called ViaVan.
The District DOT is reopening its free-floating carsharing application to new companies in the DC region, adding to the Car2Go and Free2Move mix—and potentially hundreds of new shared vehicles.
The fight for full-employee status for ridehail drivers has the LA Times calling on the companies in question to take a long look at their business model and call the drivers “employees.”
Partnerships and Programs
Growth, Innovation, and Equity. Smart Cities Dive takes a look at three major trends for public transit and transportation infrastructure that are highlighted in the 2020 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Bill.
Rockford, IL has a $31 million plan that seeks a $25 million federal grant to transform downtown corridors into bikeable, walkable, and transit-friendly communities to keep up with the densifying residential core.
The Dutch city of Utrecht is adding plant-covered rooftops to 316 bus stops around the city in an effort to create more bee sanctuaries and add green infrastructure.
Pittsburgh is gearing up to release a bike master plan by the end of the year to boost the citywide bike lane network and cover cycling gaps.
Bikesharing and Micromobility
What do Chicago residents think about the recently-launched dockless scooter pilot? Streetsblog asked people in scooter-filled neighborhoods about the pros and cons of the program.
A mobility project led by Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation is helping Central American people in North Alexandria, VA get to ESL classes with subsidized Capital Bikeshare passes for cleaner connections to family-oriented services.
A CityLab writer recaps his 19-day and 41-ride journey with Bird’s rentable scooter in San Francisco and why it was sometimes better (and worse) than his pedal-friendly alternative (his bike).
You can now rent DC’s Capital Bikeshare bikes through the Lyft app, furthering its MaaS and bikeshare integration efforts.
Transit
Advocacy groups, organizations, and activists around the US are stepping in for public agencies and creating eye-catching DIY benches for bus stops that remind passersby there’s a shared way to get around.
Metro Magazine makes a good case for a great point: Transit cannot be “smart” unless it’s equitable and accessible for all.
King County Metro is planning to change up to 30 bus routes in the region to move stops closer to light rail stations, aiming to make transfers and multi-legged trips much quicker.
Baltimore is experimenting with pop-up bus stops for traffic-laden corridors to make it safer for cyclists in bike lanes and transit riders to get on the bus.
Technology
A group of 11 companies, including OEMs and tech companies like Audi, VW, BMW, Intel, HERE, and Daimler, have released a 157-page report that spells out 12 guiding principles for the safety, development, testing, and validation of autonomous vehicles.
Alphabet’s self-driving venture Waymo has been granted a permit to operate its autonomous vehicles on California roads.
Want to know how variable a New York transit commute can be? The New York Times has a new data tool that breaks down any single trip into median travel time, how the trip changes at different times, and how much time you should set aside for a commute.
MIT researchers want cities to get more accurate city data on air pollution, noise levels, traffic, road conditions, and weather by affixing sensors on top of taxi cabs instead of using dedicated municipal vehicles.
Urban Sustainability
Urban regions are finding more and more reasons to cut parking minimums and restructure zoning around walkable and bikeable neighborhoods while favoring affordable housing. Reinventing Transport’s new podcast episode gives the low-down on where this no-minimum movement has been and where it’s headed in the future.
Cycling advocate and author Peter Walker debunks 10 myths about bike lanes and cycling infrastructure that opponents use to block active transportation improvements in some UK cities.
US states have been building a steady level of gas taxation over the years to grow funds for transit and infrastructure improvements. The federal government, however, hasn’t passed a gas tax increase for the past 25 years. Why?
Tactical urbanism strikes again in a simple yet effective way—plungers on the street help keep pedestrians and cyclists safe from turning cars.
Requests for Proposals, Qualifications, or Information
RFP: Consulting Services for the Yavapai Passenger Transportation Study
Northern Arizona Council of Governments
Deadline: August 12, 2019
RFP: Transit Management Services
Waukesha Metro Transit, Wisconsin
Deadline: August 12, 2019
RFP: Provide a Fare Collection System
Spokane Transit Authority, Washington
Deadline: August 19, 2019
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