Microtransit

Microtransit is a form of demand-responsive transport. This transit service offers flexible routing and/or flexible scheduling of minibus vehicles.[1] Microtransit providers build routes so as to match demand (trip) and supply (driven vehicle) and extend the efficiency and accessibility of the transit service. Possible pick-up/drop-off stops are restricted (usually within a geofenced area), and transit can be provided either as a stop-to-stop service or curb-to-curb service. Conceptually, microtransit fits somewhere between private individual transportation (cars or taxicabs or TNCs) and public mass transit (bus).[2]

Although this kind of transit service has been running for a while in Southern hemisphere countries and Asia, the development of technologies has led to a wave of pilots and adoption in Europe and North America. Technologies allow real time exchange of information and programmed optimization of the transit service. The term Microtransit may have emerged into widespread industry discussion around 2015, when this wave of technology enabled services was starting, and seems specific to the English language.

The current implementations result from public-private partnerships (and subsidized by the government) or are brought by the private sector directly to the customer. It is unsure if microtransit can be profitable (just like public transit).

Success of microtransit systems depends on its configuration. Some experiences in the US resulted in failures.[3]

Application

The flexibility and intelligence in microtransit can be useful in cases when the demand is either geographically spread or coming at various and/or unpredictable times, i.e. when it is hard to gather demand with a planned transit service. Examples include: low-density areas, night services, and other formats adapted to specific needs.

References
  1. Shaheen, Susan; Chan, Nelson; Bansal, Apaar; Cohen, Adam (November 2015). "Shared Mobility: Definitions, Industry Developments, and Early Understanding" (PDF). innovativemobility.org. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  2. Gray, Leslie (2016-01-10). "The Silicon Valley Agency Launching its Own Microtransit Service". Shared-Use Mobility Center. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  3. "UpRouted: Exploring Microtransit in the United States". www.enotrans.org.
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