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

  • Call for papers for ITS Glasgow and ITS Melbourne
    November 27, 2015
    Ertico-ITS Europe has issued a call for papers for the 11th European ITS Congress 2016 to be held in Glasgow on 6-9 June 2016 and the 23rd ITS World Congress, to be held in Melbourne on 10-14 October 2016. Deadline for submissions for ITS Europe is 13 January 2016. More information is available on the website. (link http://glasgow2016.itsineurope.com/) Deadline for submission for the ITS World Congress is 13 January 2016. More information is on the ITS World Congress website. (link http://www.itsworld
  • TEST Real time traffic updates
    March 15, 2013
    Motorists in Belgium can now obtain real time traffic and travel updates at selected Total fuel stations, thanks to information supplied by mobility services provider Be-Mobile displayed on screens designed and implemented by digital communications specialist Dobit. The up to the minute graphical traffic overview displays traffic jams, road works and accidents. The screens will switch views from traffic information to in-house deals for shoppers and other relevant information, which Total hopes will increa
  • Aptiv opens technical centre in Las Vegas
    December 19, 2018
    Aptiv has opened a technical centre in Las Vegas, US, to gather insights on its fleet of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and to improve safety operator training. Aptiv says its AVs are supporting more than 1,600 destinations across Clark County and the city, including entertainment venues such as the Las Vegas Convention Center and City Hall. In May, Aptiv launched 30 AVs in the city to pick up riders using Lyft’s app and network. The new, 130,000 square-foot technical centre will facilitate vehicle opera
  • Call for papers and sessions open for ITS America 2019
    November 1, 2018
    ITS America is accepting paper and session proposals for its annual meeting in Washington, DC on 4-7 June 2019. Submissions based on this year’s theme - ‘Intelligent Mobility: Safer, Greener, Smarter’ - should relate to topics on intelligent mobility: moving people, data and freight. Authors of the accepted papers will present findings in a session organised by ITS America’s programme committee which will feature a moderator appointed by the event