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Sustainable mobility is intrinsically linked to the concept of spatial justice, which refers to the equitable distribution of resources, services, and access, often considered a fundamental human right (Soja 2010). Transport justice is vital to spatial justice, focusing on designing and developing equitable transport systems (Martens 2017). To attain sustainable mobility and transport justice, intensive work on new and innovative mobility solutions is ongoing worldwide. On-demand transit has shown great promise for improving flexibility and accessibility in public transport (Alonso-Gonzalez 2018). Today, on-demand solutions are a key component of future public mobility, where digital applications and seamless digital interfaces contribute to new opportunities for providing on-demand transit. Research, however, argues that there is often a lack of evaluation and follow-up of different initiatives and mobility solutions conducted in various contexts (Berg 2017, Stjernborg and Nilsson 2018). While on-demand transit is proven to increase transit accessibility significantly, its impact on transit equity and equality has been rarely addressed (Hwang, et al. 2024). This study aims to examine, compare, and learn from two On-Demand Transit solutions deployed in different urban and rural contexts on two continents: MARTA Reach in Atlanta and Plusresa in the region of Skåne in southern Sweden.
MARTA Reach was a six-month pilot of an On-Demand Multimodal Public Transit System (ODMTS) in Atlanta that began on March 1, 2022. The aim was to improve accessibility to jobs, healthcare, and healthy food while fostering an equitable and accessible transit system. MARTA Reach combined on-demand vehicles to serve the first/last miles, with high-frequency rail or bus routes to transport commuters on dense, congested corridors. Funded by an NSF CIVIC grant, MARTA Reach was a collaboration between researchers at Georgia Tech and the Metropolitan Atlanta Transit Authority (MARTA). MARTA operated the pilot by arranging for the shuttle fleet and drivers. The researchers at Georgia Tech developed the software technology and the user applications and maintained the backend server. The pilot program was deployed in four zones within Atlanta having distinct demographic characteristics to understand how the benefits of ODTMS would reach a diverse group of transit users.
Plusresa, which started in March 2021 in the region of Skåne, was conceived to provide public transportation for people living in rural areas. Skåne is the southernmost Swedish county, whose county town is Malmö, which is also the third largest city in Sweden. In 2021, Skåne had about 1.4 million inhabitants, with a population density of 124 inhabitants per square kilometer. The population is unevenly distributed, with the largest proportion living in the south-western part of Skåne. North-eastern Skåne, which is the focus of this study, is often noted for its natural resources and sparser habitation geography. The objective of Plusresa was to connect rural areas with major traffic routes with a focus on commuting for work and study, as well as leisure travel for a functional everyday life.
By taking advantage of experiences and reflections on the two solutions, this study aims to contribute to knowledge and strengthen the conditions for innovation within sustainable mobility. The evaluation will particularly focus on issues such as its impact on transit equity and equality, its potential for reducing social and spatial inequalities, and an assess how the needs and preferences of actual users were met. Methods include collection and analysis of documents and other material, interviews with stakeholders and other key persons involved in the two initiatives, and site visits.
References
References
Alonso-González, M. J., Liu, T., Cats, O., Van Oort, N., & Hoogendoorn, S. (2018). The Potential of Demand-Responsive Transport as a Complement to Public Transport: An Assessment Framework and an Empirical Evaluation. Transportation Research Record, 2672(8), 879–889. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198118790842.
Berg, J. (2017). En studie om effektiva och innovativa lösningar för kollektivtrafik på landsbygd : slutrapport av regeringsuppdrag TT - A study of effective and innovative solutions for public transport in rural areas : final report from a government commission (eng). In VTI rapport NV - 955. Statens väg- och transportforskningsinstitut.
Hwang, U., Lieu, S. J., Guan, H., Dalmeijer, K., van Hentenryck, P., & Guhathakurta, S. (2024). Measuring Transit Equity of an On-Demand Multimodal Transit System. Journal of the American Planning Association, 91(1), 72–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2024.2323470
Martens, K. (2017). Transport Justice. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-021-101766
Soja, E. W. (2010). Seeking spatial justice. University of Minnesota Press.
Stjernborg, V., & Nilsson, D. (2018). Kollektivtrafikens bidrag till samhällsutveckling. In K2 RESEARCH. K2- Nationellt kunskapscentrum för kollektivtrafik.
| Keywords | On-Demand; equity; transit; sustainability |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
