The increase in transit ridership and carsharing isn't just due to the rise in gas prices, but also the rise in new technologies providing up-to-the-minute reports on location and ride availability.
Christopher Dempsey of the Massachusetts Department of Transport spoke at a recent event about the technological boom that is increasing ridership.
"Transit riders have a higher adoption of smartphones" than Americans as a whole, Dempsey told New Urban News. In Chicago, where the Chicago Transit Authority is installing a data feed that reports on every bus, "28 percent of their riders have smartphones," he said. "We think smartphones will be as ubiquitous as cellphones are now. The cost is coming down." He further points out that in the Boston area, "someone built a 617 phone number that you can call and get bus predictions. Also, there are websites that are free."
Thanks to Renee Brutvan
FULL STORY: Smart phones + shared cars = better urban living
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