Community Transportation Magazine
Shared-Use Mobility Center Working to Promote Better Integration with Transit
By Sharon Feigon, Executive Director
Shared-Use Mobility Center
A recent study by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group highlighted two important trends for public transit – people are driving less, and they want more transportation options.
Over the last decade the number of miles driven by the average American has fallen, especially among Millennials who are less likely to have a driver’s license than previous generations and are more likely to use multiple modes of travel during a typical day or week.
One of the best ways to accommodate the demand for a greater array of transportation choices, especially given current constraints on state and federal transportation funding, is to find ways to better integrate public transit with the emerging shared mobility industry.
When integrated with transit, shared mobility – including bike, car and ride-sharing – can help extend the reach of existing systems, create new connections and fill service gaps.
As the former CEO of IGO CarSharing, I had the opportunity to witness many of the benefits of integration first hand. One of my proudest accomplishments was working with the Chicago Transit Authority to create the first combined car-share/transit fare card in North America, which further enabled our 15,000 members to forgo vehicle ownership.
Unfortunately, in many cities public sector leaders and private mobility providers continue to operate independently from one another. To help foster collaboration, we recently launched the Shared-Use Mobility Center, a public-interest partnership working to help connect the burgeoning industry with transit agencies, cities and communities and maximize the public benefits of shared mobility.
