Transit Agencies Can Work with Companies Such as Uber and Lyft to Improve Mobility
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A new HNTB Corporation Viewpoint discusses ways transit agencies and transportation network companies can work together to improve mobility, and future considerations for transit agencies regarding passenger experience and vehicle automation. The Viewpoint, “A great start: Connecting transit agencies and transportation network companies,” is authored by Diana Mendes, HNTB Mid-Atlantic Division president and transit/rail market sector leader.
According to Mendes, who serves the transit industry as chair of the American Public Transportation Association Legislative Committee and member of the Executive Committee, transportation network companies can help transit users overcome the challenges of first-mile/last-mile connections while motivating transit agencies to move beyond their traditional roles to become managers of complete trips – planning, scheduling, buying and integrating transportation modes for seamless travel.
Mendes also discussed three paradigms that may shift as transit and transportation network companies evolve:
- Uncertainty: Technology has the potential to eliminate the worry of missing a transit departure by enabling passengers to synchronize trips across modes and allowing smoother pickup by transportation network company drivers.
- Experience: Transit systems and transportation network companies may focus more on passenger experience, offering enticing amenities to riders.
- Automation: As automated vehicles become more common, it will be crucial for transit agencies to ready their systems for the influx of this new technology.
To see more HNTB transit/rail thought leadership and media content, visit the firm’s transit/rail media kit.
HNTB has been or is currently involved in numerous high-profile transit and rail projects across the U.S., including the Chicago Transit Authority Wilson Station Reconstruction Project; Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s South Oak Cliff Corridor Blue Line Extension; Bay Area Rapid Transit’s Warm Springs Extension Project; and the LYNX Blue Line Extension in Charlotte, North Carolina.
About HNTB
HNTB Corporation is an employee-owned infrastructure firm serving public and private owners and contractors. With more than a century of service in the United States, HNTB understands the life cycle of infrastructure and addresses clients’ most complex technical, financial and operational challenges. Professionals nationwide deliver a full range of infrastructure-related services, including award-winning planning, design, program management and construction management. For more information, visit www.hntb.com.
