With 80 percent of our passenger capacity empty, Jenny O'Brien discusses the potential of hitchhiking apps as a transportation solution in a recent TEDxKC talk.
Frustrated by the lack of transportation options in her small town of Lawrence, Kansas, Jenny O'Brien decided to take matters into her own hands and stop waiting for the government or public entities to alleviate the situation.
With a focus on moving people instead of moving cars, Jenny O'Brien introduces her "single-digit" transportation solution, hitchhiking. Currently, one of the main objections to picking up hitchhikers is the lack of knowledge and trust, leading to fear among drivers. However, with the rise of the $26 billion peer-to-peer sharing economy, the potential to change these objections exists.
By using feedback, profiles, and reviews, O'Brien has built an application to transform random hitchhikers into trusted strangers. Throughout 150 test rides, the average waiting time is 7 minutes. The application is currently available only in Lawrence, Kansas.
FULL STORY: Single Digit Transportation Solution | Jenny O'Brien | TEDxKC
Social Media Apps Put Ride Sharing on the Map
Ride share websites and mobile apps take the guesswork out of finding a ride and move social networking offline and onto the open road, fueling a revival of car-pooling, reports Mickey Meece.
Urban Planning Creators You Should Know in 2024
Whether you’re a TikTok enthusiast or a Substack reader, you can find plenty of valuable and engaging urban planning content in the new media landscape.
Leveraging Social Media for Citizen Engagement in Urban Planning
Discover how urban planners can use social media to enhance citizen engagement, featuring strategies for interactive communication and community involvement in urban development projects.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.
Chicago Approves Green Affordable Housing Plan
The Mayor’s plan calls for creating a nonprofit housing corporation tasked with building affordable housing that meets Green Building standards.
E-Scooter Parking: A Guide
How smart planning — and ample designated parking — can end conflicts over shared scooters.
‘It’s Been 50 years’: Public Transit Law Passes in Montana
Legislation would fix transportation district issue, allow for greater reach on city bus routes.
Top 10 Tech-Ready Cities
An index ranks U.S. cities based on their preparedness for the ‘smart city future.’
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions