Highlights From the National Shared Mobility Summit

As Cailin Crowe reports in Smart Cities Dive, “mobility leaders gathered in Chicago at the National Shared Mobility Summit last week to discuss how to sell U.S. residents on a less car-centric future, in addition to solutions for providing more accessible and racially equitable shared mobility options.”

Crowe highlights the main topics discussed. “In light of incoming federal investments for local infrastructure, many conference speakers emphasized the need to support shared mobility by first ensuring that basic infrastructure needs are being met.” For example, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund Government Affairs Liaison Carol Tyson said that “Innovation is about having a bench at a bus stop and accessible pedestrian signals and curb ramps.”

“Panelists also emphasized the urgent need for racial equity within mobility, which includes addressing how cities enforce traffic laws.” Crowe writes that “Many safety and transportation groups, including the Governors Highway Safety Association, have also supported a ‘safe system’ approach that ‘acknowledges human error and seeks to minimize fatalities and serious injuries.’ Meanwhile, other transportation leaders have called on city officials to look at how street design and speed limit policies could help encourage safe driving instead of relying on police enforcement.”

Some panelists centered community input as key to building equitable and effective transportation systems. “Several panelists also emphasized the importance of compensating community members for their input and collaboration. Compensation allows community members to participate more fully in various projects, [Heidy Persaud, director of transportation equity at the nonprofit Center for Neighborhood Technology] said.”