Everyone should be able to get where they need to go in their community: whether it’s school, childcare, the grocery store, or a doctor’s appointment. In fact, reliable public transportation has been repeatedly linked to economic mobility and improved mental and physical health, not to mention reductions in traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.
But during COVID-19, building equitable transit networks has proven even more challenging than ever before. Cities and transit agencies are finding it difficult to fund and operate their fixed routes due to unpredictable ridership — and the resulting service reductions are leaving marginalized populations, including countless essential workers, at the mercy of chance. It’s time we build transit solutions that meet riders where they are.
Enter: on-demand public transit, with cities like Los Angeles, Jersey City, and even small communities like Wilson, NC, putting tech to the test.