Connected Urban Growth: Public-Private Collaborations for Transforming Urban Mobility

This paper identifies three promising applications of new mobility services by public transit agencies, and presents economic, social, and environmental modelling that illustrate the value of such partnerships to mass transit systems.

The success met by alternative modes of transportation seems to show that residents need transport options that are more convenient and flexible than those offered by traditional private transport companies and public transit agencies. If public transit is a vital part of efficient and environmentally friendly urban transportation system, it still faces challenges such as rising costs, ageing physical assets, and rapidly increasing ridership.

Perhaps because new mobility services are diverse and novel, there is not yet an obvious formula for how cities can maximize the benefits of these services while mitigating their societal costs, such as worsening traffic congestion or added air pollution. But it is clear that the arrangements that cities establish between their transit agencies and the providers of new mobility services will be critically important.

This working paper presents a working definition of the term new mobility services, which encompasses a broad set of emerging operating models and technologies that are intended to improve the performance of urban transportation systems. It also presents the first global survey of new mobility services, and identifies emerging trends and opportunities for decision-makers in both the public and private sectors. This global survey finds that applying three types of new mobility services – electric, on-demand minibuses, subsidized shared rides, and trip-planning and ticketing apps – can make public transport more affordable, accessible and sustainable, if integrated properly.

Authors: Diego Canales, Larissa Da Silva, Srikanth Shastry et alii

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