Are Cities and Transit Systems Ready for the New Mobility Revolution?

Orginalartikel på engelska.

Waymo often asserts that its services will complement public transportation, and it is currently trying to incentivize riders to connect with other modes of transit. However, initial reports suggest this pilot has not been particularly successful.

A somewhat different perspective on AV and transit integration is promoted by UITP and the World Economic Forum. Their vision appears ideal in the way it builds on a high-capacity public transportation network. However, it depends on having a robust transit network already in place and a high level of operator integration—factors that may make it more suitable for some European or Asian cities.

Expanding the focus to include ride-hailing, car sharing, and micromobility, we see interesting trends among winners and losers over the past few years. 

• Ride-hailing has rebounded strongly since the pandemic, but shared ride-hailing has suffered significant setbacks, which is of course unfortunate. 
• Car sharing has struggled in Europe, with Germany being a surprising exception.
• Micromobility seems to have emerged as a winner, particularly after some industry consolidation. Notably, shared bikes have overtaken e-scooters in popularity in the U.S., which is an unexpected shift.

Looking at how major urban centers address their mobility challenges:

• New York City has resumed its planned congestion tax to fund transit development, an initiative previously suspended before the U.S. election.
• Paris continues its transformation into a more car-free city by banning private car traffic in key areas, replacing parking spaces with greenery, and pursuing an ambitious climate plan targeting emissions reduction.
• And even in Turin, a city with an extensive automotive legacy, major changes have been made to its mobility infrastructure to support other modes of transportation. 

Returning to the topic on integrating AVs with transit; Hamburg has now shared some more details on their plans to integrate on-demand, shared AVs with its public transportation network. 

Exciting developments are also unfolding in our own Swedish backyard. Following several shuttle pilots, Gothenburg will soon launch a full-scale autonomous city bus operating in the city center. Additionally, shared autonomous vehicles will be deployed at one of Sweden’s major ski resorts to alleviate traffic on its low-capacity road network.

Exciting times indeed!