MOVE: Mobility Re-imagined reposted this
Conference Producer at Terrapinn for MOVE America 2024 | The world's #1 tech, mobility & start up show
City of Sioux Falls and the Sioux Area Metro have been collaborating with Via to provide microtransit services to complement the exisiting transit system. This has proven popular in less serviced areas - so popular that Via is struggling to keep up with demand. The CEO of Via Daniel Ramot argues that microtransit is not a catch all solution. On-demand vans hailed via smartphone apps can provide better service, at a lower cost, than old-school buses in low-density neighborhoods. Critics counter that microtransit is expensive and inefficient, taking money away from tried-and-true solutions. However, Ramot also mentions here that should the labor equation ever change, the Via platform is well-positioned to take advantage. The company currently runs driverless shuttles from May Mobility in Sun City, Arizona, and more autonomous vehicle partnerships will be announced soon, Ramot said. “As robotaxis become available, there could be a very interesting opportunity to deploy some of those vehicles onto this public transit network that we have.” MOVE: Mobility Re-imagined #microtransit #transit #accessibility #bus #localtransit