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Hello Transportation Aficionado,
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Wendy Duren, program director, Arlington Transportation Partners
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I attended the Shared-Use Mobility Summit in San Francisco last year and came away from it with a strong sense that the conversations happening there
should continue.
At the time, no one knew that this inaugural event would spur such interest. Hundreds of people would be turned away due to the overwhelming response.
The next logical step will happen June
10-11, when the Association for Commuter Transportation, Mobility Lab, TransitCenter, and the UCBerkeley Transportation Sustainability Research Center host the Innovation in Mobility Public
Policy Summit in Washington D.C.
I anticipate a lot will result from this two-day summit. Solutions to new developments in ridesharing, the first- and last-mile challenge, tech and open data, inter-regional cooperation, and business opportunities will need to be articulated to policymakers both federally and throughout the country.
Register today - and read more here.
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Hot Stat
An estimated 88 percent of Americans support high-speed rail. But support seemingly evaporates once funding for these massive public-works projects is discussed.
- U.S. High Speed Rail Association
RSVP for Upcoming Events
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High-Speed Rail is a Key to
U.S. Economic Competitiveness
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Paul Goddin, urban planning chief,
Mobility Lab
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High-speed rail (HSR) is gaining momentum in the United States, with many projects in various stages of planning.
California's controversial and groundbreaking HSR line, which will link San Francisco and Los Angeles, is expected to begin construction this summer. The ambitious line has prompted development of similar plans for the Midwest, New England, Texas, and Florida.
In Washington D.C., an exciting modernization of Union Station (pictured above) has been proposed that promises to cement the region's economic competitiveness. The D.C. plan, still in its infancy, would provide a 220 mph HSR connection to New York City, building on the success of the Acela Express, which only hints at the capability of true HSR.
Read more about this week's High Speed Rail Summit here and here.
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Electric Bicycles Getting a Fresh Look in D.C.
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Paul Mackie, communications director,
Mobility Lab
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Electric bicycles are somewhere between a car - or at least a moped - and a bike. Anecdotally, there seems to be quite a few more ebikes around Washington D.C. lately. Ebike sellers are reporting tons of curiosity around people taking test rides. And while they are still relatively expensive, they may be reaching a more critical-mass price point in the near future.
"We're in this business because we think it will take off," said Amber Wason (pictured above), co-founder of Riide, what is thought to currently be the only D.C.-based ebike manufacturer. "There is the perfect storm. Technology is progressing, people are living in more dense areas, and there is a huge trend of Millennials not getting driver's licenses."
But whether ebikes are a bonafide trend is yet to be decided. Navigant Research found that "nine out of every 10 e-bicycle sales still occur in China" with worldwide growth to expand from 31 million sold in 2013 to 38 million in 2020. The research also noted that new, young ebike riders in North America are using them for transportation rather than entertainment, with about 60,000 sold in the U.S. in 2013.
Read the full feature here.
 
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Keeping Governments Relevant as the Sharing Economy Grows
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Shared-use mobility is a hot topic these days.
And Mobility Lab Director Tom Fairchild (pictured) was a panelist recently at The Brookings Institution for Mobility Innovations in the Sharing Economy, sponsored by the Japan International Transport Institute.
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Melissa McMahon,
TDM planner, Arlington County Commuter Services
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The panelists noted that government regulators will not even come close to keeping up with what is coming next with private-sector mobility and accessibility offerings.
So while private industry adapts quickly, what is the government role?
Click here to read some of the points I gleaned from panelists Fairchild, Adie Tomer of Brookings, and Joseph Kopser of RideScout.
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Partner Spotlight - Mass Transit Magazine
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Mass Transit Magazine is an impressive media resource for transportation industry leaders, providing key insights about mass transit in the U.S. and around the world.
With a small but dynamo staff, Mass Transit Magazine covers the stories that industry insiders need. Just this week, the magazine had reporters covering the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing & Communications Workshop in New Orleans and the U.S. High Speed Rail Summit in Washington D.C.
The magazine is the core of the organization, and all transportation experts should be subscribed. But the conversation continues onto its social-media sites. An especially engaged audience intelligently discusses key issues at its LinkedIn account. It also has great blogs, newsletters, and videos to fit all your mass-transit information needs.
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Please Send Us Your Feedback
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We hope Mobility Lab Express, our events, and the research and case studies at our website will be go-to resources for you. In fact, we invite you to share your stories of how transportation-demand improvements have been made in your communities. How are you "moving people instead of cars?" We may publish your feedback, and together we'll strengthen transportation for all!
Simply respond to this email or click here
with any thoughts or suggestions.
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Mobility Lab is a research-and-development initiative for "transportation demand management - moving people instead of cars." Based in Arlington, Virginia - which has one of the largest TDM programs in the U.S. and removes 45,000 car trips from the county's roads each work day - Mobility Lab seeks solutions, stories, and partnerships from all over the world.
Please feel free to share this newsletter with those who may be interested. |
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