In most cities, sustainable and alternative transportation modes – public transportation, walking, cycling and different types of micromobility — are in place, but they may not be connected in ways that can maximize the potential of the entire transportation network. We know that micromobility services work. We know that they are a popular option for commuters, especially those living in dense urban areas. We also know that they are a great solution for first and last mile connections. It’s now time for the next step in micromobility evolution – integration with our public transportation networks.
Multimodal integration improves reliability, affordability, and – with trip planning – flexibility of multimodal trips. It increases ridership across modes and bridges the distance between transport stations and the final destination for riders. To achieve integration we need to create seamless connectivity and just like any good recipe there are key ingredients and a proper method required to achieve successful micromobility integration.
Keep reading to find out about our Recipe for Micromobility Integrations Cheat Sheet and to check out some successful examples of micromobility integrations.
Micromobility Integration Case Studies
Multimodal integration ensures micromobility and public transportation are the fastest most cost-effective option for users. It can lead to improved urban resilience, better air quality, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and more livable cities. There are things that cities should consider when establishing integrated systems. Some of which include:
Case Study #1: TfL and Dott London, UK
Create strong partnerships not only between Transport for London and private operators but also between private operators
The North American Bikeshare and Scootershare Association, revealed in it’s State of the Industry Report last year, that during the pandemic, 55 percent of micromobility operators worked with transit agencies to fill gaps left by transit service reductions. This helped facilitate better relations and a path to more intermodal connection.
Two good examples of cities that have great partnerships with private operators are London’s Transport for London (TfL) and Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA), which both serve as unified public transport authorities, helping ensure seamless integration across various modes, including metro, buses, light rail, and taxis.
A good example of a strong working partnership between private operators are Dott & Citymapper. Just last year, European micro-mobility company Dott announced the expansion of its partnership with Citymapper, as its e-bikes are incorporated in the Citymapper app across London and other cities, and its shared e-scooters are added to new locations across Europe.
Users looking for the most efficient and environmentally friendly way to travel across their city can now find Dott’s shared e-scooters and e-bikes integrated in the Citymapper app with other public and private transport options for longer journeys.
Users will also be able to trip plan, view suggested routes and travel times, then navigate to their destination using real-time turn-by-turn directions.
Case Study #2: Tummoc, Bengaluru, India
Focus first on solving the existing information and data gaps of the current transportation network
The absurdity of a 20-minute wait for a 10-minute ride in the metro or a bus, and difficulty fulfilling the first and last mile requirements when using public transport, formed the base of Tummoc’s experience.
Bengaluru-headquartered Tummoc, India’s first multi-modal patented public transport app, and this year’s EmpowerWISM Outstanding Applicant, helps track and find actionable & accurate intracity travel information for the bus/metro/suburban rail. They have collaborated with Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) for facilitating bus ticketing services, and with bike-taxi aggregator Rapido to enable last-mile connectivity in the city. Purchasing tickets on the app is only currently available in Bangalore, but they will be launching online ticketing in other cities soon.
Tummoc is currently live in 17 cities with over 2 millions downloads, showing there is a demand for multimodal integration within our cities.
Case Study #3: Cogo, Copenhagen, Denmark
Solve the first and last mile by aggregating of all the private providers in a city
Cogo is the leading shared mobility aggregator in Europe with more than 250 shared mobility operators included in their app. With Cogo, users can search for shared electric scooters, bikes, cars and mopeds, check availability, compare prices and find the best option for their trip.
Last year, Cogo acquired eScoot, a leading shared mobility aggregator in Central Europe. Together, Cogo and eScoot have helped more than half a million users in over 100 countries find and compare shared electric scooters, bikes, cars and mopeds in their city.
With this acquisition of eScoot, Cogo expects an immediate boost to its expansion plans in key European markets such as Germany, France and the UK, accelerating user growth outside its current footholds in Southern Europe and the Nordics. Looking ahead, the company plans to add more cities, more mobility operators, and more features in the coming year, such as in-app booking and payments – which is arguably one of the hardest challenges for multimodal intregration.
Case Study #4: Active Transportation Plan, Washington State, USA
Define the economic benefits of micromobility integrations
Leveraging more active modes of transportation can be a very cost-effective solution for cities. If we take a look at Washington State in the USA, their Active Transportation Plan estimates that upgrading the state transportation system to maximize active travel safety would cost $5.7 billion, averaging approximately $40 annually per capita over 20 years. Such investments are small compared with the $800 annual per capita expenditures on public roads, $200 on traffic services, and $2,000 or more on government-mandated off-street parking.
Micromobility integration with our transit systems can also create shorter overall trips, decrease congestion and parking issues, increase public transit travel, reduce vehicle ownership, lower traffic speeds and reduce the need for trip chauffeuring for non-drivers.
In an article by Todd Litman, he explains in detail the role can active and micromobility play in reducing emissions. He shares findings from the study CO2 Reduction Costs and Benefits in Transport: Socio-technical Scenarios. It concluded that vehicle travel reduction strategies, such as vehicle sharing and more compact urban form, have negative costs (they provide net savings) due to their co-benefits, and so are more cost effective than alternative fuel vehicles.
Case Study #5: MTA, New York, USA
Co-locate mass transit and micromobility options through mobility hubs
An recent example of this is New York. The MTA and City Hall are shifting into gear on ways to better connect bicycles and other green forms of transportation to the subways, buses and bridges.
MTA officials on January 11th unveiled “Extending Transit’s Reach,” the report from a year long study outlining plans for how the mass transit system can better accommodate the 1.9 million New Yorkers who get around on bicycles, as well as the growing number who use micromobility vehicles such as scooters and e-bikes.
“We’re now developing policy that we can incorporate bikes and scooters into the planning for mass transit, for an integrated mass transit system, that’s a shift — before, it was kind of fragmented, nobody at the MTA was charged with really thinking about it.”
Download our latest cheat sheet to learn the key ingredients of successful and method for micromobility integrations. Download for free below. 👇
