Skip to main content

New mobility services could benefit city dwellers and make public transport more affordable

New mobility services integrated into mass transit systems could improve the lives of all urban inhabitants and make public transport more affordable, accessible and sustainable, according to research from the Coalition for Urban Transitions (CfUT). 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.
November 3, 2017 Read time: 3 mins
New mobility services integrated into mass transit systems could improve the lives of all urban inhabitants and make public transport more affordable, accessible and sustainable, according to research from the Coalition for Urban Transitions (CfUT). 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.


Called Connected Urban Growth: Public-Private Collaborations for Transforming Urban Mobility, the findings are based on applying three types of mobility services – electric, on-demand minibuses, subsidized rides, and trip-planning and ticketing apps to London, Mexico City and San Francisco.

The report shows that these applications could bring economic and environmental benefits. Dynamic trip-planning and ticketing systems and on-demand minibus services would each require up-front investments that could be paid back within two years by reductions in operating costs. In addition, subsidising the use of ride-sharing services for first- and last-mile trips to and from transit hubs could boost mass-transit ridership and create more farebox revenues with no initial capital outlay.

Further modelling indicates that dynamic trip-planning and ticketing apps could cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 500,000 tonnes per year in 2020 across the three cities, as more people use public transportation, with Mexico City benefiting most. The total emissions from transportation across the three cities could be reduced by up to 6%. Replacing fixed-route diesel buses with on-demand electric minibuses could bring improvements: in Greater London, GHG and fine-particulate emissions could be cut by more than 80% and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 95% per bus route. San Francisco could see even more significant reductions. Deploying ride-sharing services for first- and last-mile trips to and from public transportation stops, which enables more people to use mass transit instead of their cars, could reduce per journey emissions of GHGs and local air pollutants by 55-80%.

The CfUT is encouraging cities to consider how new services can enhance public transit systems, and calling on urban policymakers to share more data, invest in mass transit infrastructure, and incentivize pilots and partnerships, among other recommendations.  

Other findings showed over 70 cities are already partnering with new private mobility services and addressing challenges public transit systems face, but only a handful are in the Global South.

More than half of new mobility start-ups fall into the shared mobility category (e.g. mass transit and bicycle sharing) with 63% of those based in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Additionally, local companies in every region of the world are now developing shared mobility apps.

In the US, more than half the product innovation companies (e.g. electric and autonomous vehicles) surveyed are based in The States. Over 500 transit agencies are providing open access to their transit data, helping consumers plan their trips more easily, but only 17 also allow users to purchase tickets using mobile apps.

A full copy of the report is available on the %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external website false http://newclimateeconomy.report/workingpapers/workingpaper/connected-urban-growth-public-private-collaborations-for-transforming-urban-mobility/ false false%>.

Related Content

  • OKeenea has safer pedestrian crossings in view with aBeacon
    March 19, 2018
    Okeenea already produces its more conventional accessible pedestrian signal (APS). While it has been a successful product, according to the company, it is also noisier and so is not so convenient for visually impaired people. Now, Okeenea has launched the aBeacon, which it says is the perfect mix of the APS and high-end technologies like iBeacon to provide new digital services to improve mobility of all citizens. Key features of the easy-to-install aBeacon include less operational noise and also activation
  • Canada invests in Vancouver’s EV charging infrastructure
    February 15, 2019
    The government of Canada is investing CAN$300,000 in the construction of six electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers in Vancouver. This funding is part of the government’s CAN$182.5m investment to develop a fast-charging network for EVs and establish natural gas stations along roads and hydrogen stations in metropolitan areas. The chargers are partially funded through the Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative, a programme which falls under Canada’s $180 billion Inves
  • TrafficCast launches new series of webinars throughout the year
    January 10, 2018
    TrafficCast (TC) has launched a new series of free online webinars to help its partners get the most out of their BlueToad systems by providing refresher courses for frequent users and an overview for new members utilizing the network. These sessions, starting this week, will cover a range of topics, subjects and features on BlueToad hardware and BlueArgus software. The first five courses TC is offering include an Introduction to BlueToads, BlueArgus, Devices, Pairs and Routes; Speed Maps, Standalone Maps
  • Managed charging to solve EV demand issue, says TRL
    September 10, 2019
    Managed charging (MC) can shift electric vehicle (EV) charging demand in the UK away from peak times, according to a study led by TRL. MC aims to shift plug-in vehicle (PiV) charging load to times - such as overnight - when other demands are low. TRL found that, after experiencing some form of MC, the vast majority of people would be happy to switch to it. This research, part of TRL’s Vehicles and Energy Integration (CVEI) project, set out to investigate the challenges and opportunities involved in