Mobility-as-a-Service Providers Disappear Along With Public Transit During Protests

Mobility-as-a-service companies have disappeared when essential workers needed them most, falling short of their promoted role as gap fillers.

1 minute read

June 7, 2020, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Micromobility

Protestors lit electric scooters and bikes on fire during a protest in Paris in December 2019. | Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock

According to Susie Cagle, public transit systems weren't the only mobility services leaving people stranded during protests and curfews in the past few weeks.

As cities across the country institute a variety of fast-changing curfews in response to protests, they are also cutting back or completely shutting down the public transit countless individuals use each night to make their way home and to work. Even private transportation services like ride shares, which have long advertised themselves as transit solutions by shoring up urban transit and making cities safer and more convenient, are temporarily shuttering.

Private transit companies are complying with shutdown orders in cities, according to Cagle, or even voluntarily suspending service, leaving essential workers without options for getting home and exposing them to the risk of being harassed or even arrested on the way home.

"These are all services that were pitched as making urban transportation more robust, cities more accessible, and residents safer," writes Cagle. "Once hailed as alternatives to the financial burden of private vehicle ownership without giving up safe and consistent mobility, the curfew has revealed that these transportation solutions are only as capable as the municipalities they operate in."


Thursday, June 4, 2020 in OneZero via Medium

Red on white 'Room for Rent, Inquire Inside' sign

In Most U.S. Cities, Archaic Laws Limit Roommate Living

Critics argue laws preventing unrelated adults from living in the same home fail to understand the modern American household.

May 24, 2023 - The Atlantic

Vancouver Chuck Wolfe

Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown

In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.

May 24, 2023 - GeekWire

New York MTA subway station

Off-Peak is the New On-Peak

Public transit systems in major U.S. cities are starting to focus on non-rush hour travelers as pre-pandemic commuting patterns shift and transportation needs change.

May 19, 2023 - Curbed

View of Colorado River from top of Hoover Dam with concrete column on left

The New Colorado River Deal: An Explainer

According to one analyst, the agreement approved by the states doesn’t go nearly far enough to protect the river in the long term.

1 hour ago - The Land Desk

View of cars stuck in gridlocked traffic with traffic lights in background

Research Indicates the Large Potential Benefits of Parking Cash-Out Laws

‘Free’ employee increases driving. Parking cash-out laws reward commuters who use climate-friendly modes, which increases fairness and reduces traffic problems.

3 hours ago - An Assessment of the Expected Impacts of City-Level Parking Cash-Out and Commuter Benefits Ordinances

Close-up photo of Megan Kimble against blurry green background with title "A journalist's take on planning"

Through the Eyes of a Journalist: Megan Kimble Reflects on Covering Food Systems, Zoning Changes, and Highway Projects in the Southwest

Kimble’s interest in topics related to urban planning spawned from research and writing about food systems in the borderlands of Arizona. She then moved to Austin in the midst of the city’s update of its Land Development Code.

5 hours ago - The Planning Commission Podcast

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.