The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) this week released a new report entitled “Mobility Innovation: The Case for Federal Investment and Support”.
The six case studies highlighted in this new report illustrate the innovative potential of the public transit industry in the U.S., APTA said in a press release.
“The pace of innovation in the public transportation industry has accelerated over the past five years. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the industry to pivot and find new and innovative ways to work, serve customers, deliver programs—and ultimately adapt to new ways of doing things. U.S. transit agencies are readily experimenting with their traditional service models—finding approaches to offer services in new ways or offer entirely new services,” APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas said in a statement. “As Congress considers infrastructure investment in upcoming legislation, finding the means to nurture and support transit’s creative capacity is critical to the continued development of these essential services.”
According to APTA, each of the agencies profiled in the report developed a new service model to address a need they saw in their community. The innovation was developed in response to a specific unmet demand or gap in service. As a result, the solutions were tailored to the conditions in the local market.
These programs focus on serving people living in areas that are currently underserved by transit, those who require wheelchair access, and those who commute during off-peak late-night hours. These programs epitomize how transportation services can be used to foster more equitable and inclusive communities, APTA says.
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