by Innovative Mobility Research | Mar 24, 2020 |
Authors: Gustave Cordahi, Susan Shaheen, PhD, Elliot Martin, PhD Date: June 2018 Abstract: The MOD Sandbox Demonstrations are sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The MOD Sandbox Demonstrations Independent Evaluation is sponsored by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), jointly by the Intelligent Transportation Systems – Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) and the FTA. All documents are USDOT publications. You may access the document at: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/36390 The Vermont Agency of Transportation’s (VTrans) goal is to develop a trip planner that provides access to flexible mobility options while also building on a platform that can be adapted, utilized, and scaled elsewhere. This proposed trip planner will include itineraries that utilize both fixed and flexible modes of public transit. The final deliverable of this project is a mobile and desktop-accessible statewide OpenTripPlannerwebsite application. By further developing the open-source OpenTripPlanner, this platform will leverage pre-existing technology and will be distributed back to others who can use it. After the adaptation of the OpenTripPlanner code to accept GTFS-flex data, the project team will submit that code back to the OpenTripPlanner group for incorporation into the core code. The project team will also submit comments on and suggested revisions to the emerging GTFS-flex specification, in order to provide a scalable model on which flexible public transit services can be defined for public consumption through web applications. The OpenTripPlanner meets FTA’s MOD Sandbox Program goals by conducting research marketing and promoting existing and emerging flexible transit services through open source technologies and open data that allow for the easy discovery of those services through interfaces already understood by most riders. Goals include: Improve transportation efficiency by promoting and creating...
by Innovative Mobility Research | Mar 16, 2020 |
Authors: Gustave Cordahi, Susan Shaheen, PhD, Elliot Martin, PhD Date: June 2018 Abstract: The MOD Sandbox Demonstrations are sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The MOD Sandbox Demonstrations Independent Evaluation is sponsored by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), jointly by the Intelligent Transportation Systems – Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) and the FTA. All documents are USDOT publications. You may access the document at: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/36657 DART is a transit agency in Dallas, Texas, that operates bus, light rail, commuter rail, streetcar, paratransit, and vanpool services in Dallas and its suburbs. While DART has expanded its services significantly to help accommodate the explosive growth in the area, increasing rider penetration and service frequency, most notably through bus service, has been a challenge. Many residents of the Dallas/Fort Worth area have difficulty completing the first mile and last mile(FMLM) of their commutes, even while high-frequency rail or bus service is available for a major portion of their trips. Nearly 28 percent of all residents and 24 percent of all DART service area jobs are more than 1/4 mile from a bus stop or rail station. DART’s MOD Sandbox demonstration aims at implementing FMLM solutions to improve service and connectivity for customers and provide efficiencies and cost effectiveness within DART’s operations. To solve the FMLM challenge, DART is leveraging its GoPass ticketing app to implement a soft integration, also referred to as a smart-app switch, into the apps for transportation network companies (TNCs) (e.g., Uber and Lyft). This will provide seamless access to multiple transportation options, allowing the DART community the ability to travel door to door. This will be accomplished by leveraging the application...
by Innovative Mobility Research | Mar 9, 2020 |
Authors: Susan Shaheen, PhD, Adam Cohen, and Emily Farrar Date: October 2019 Abstract: Carsharing provides members access to a fleet of autos for short-term use throughout the day, reducing the need for one or more personal vehicles. This chapter reviews key terms and definitions for carsharing, common carsharing business models, and existing impact studies. Next, the chapter discusses the commodification and aggregation of mobility services and the role of Mobility on Demand (MOD) and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) on carsharing. Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of how the convergence of electrification and automation is changing carsharing, leading to shared automated and electric vehicle (SAEV) fleets....
by Innovative Mobility Research | Feb 27, 2020 |
Authors: Susan Shaheen, PhD and Adam Cohen Date: January 2020 Abstract: Technology is changing the way we move and reshaping cities and society. Shared and on-demand mobility represent notable transportation shifts in the 21st century. In recent years, mobility on demand (MOD)—where consumers access mobility, goods, and services on-demand by dispatching shared modes, courier services, public transport, and other innovative strategies—has grown rapidly due to technological advancements; changing consumer preferences; and a range of economic, environmental, and social factors. New attitudes toward sharing, MOD, and mobility as a service (MaaS) are changing traveler behavior and creating new opportunities and challenges for public transportation. This chapter discusses similarities and differences between the evolving concepts of MaaS and MOD. Next, it characterizes the range of existing public transit and MOD service models and enabling partnerships. The chapter also explores emerging trends impacting public transportation. While vehicle automation could result in greater public transit competition in the future, it could also foster new opportunities for transit enhancements (e.g., microtransit services, first- and last-mile connections, reduced operating costs). The chapter concludes with a discussion of how MOD/MaaS partnerships and automation could enable the public transit industry to reinvent itself, making it more attractive and competitive with private vehicle ownership and use....
