policy brief

Universal Basic Mobility May Spark New Shared Mobility Markets in Underserved Communities

Publication Date

May 1, 2024

Associated Project

Implementing a Community-Based Mobility Wallet: A Los Angeles Case Study

Author(s)

Angelly Tovar, Brian Harold, Caroline Rodier, Mollie Cohen D'Agostino

Areas of Expertise

Safety, Public Health, & Mobility Justice

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Abstract

A lack of reliable and affordable transportation options exacerbates socioeconomic inequities for low-income individuals, especially people of color. Universal basic mobility (UBM) programs are a new approach to alleviating financial barriers to travel. These programs provideindividuals with funds to pay for a variety of mobility options such as transit and shared modes (e.g., scooter share, bike share, ridehail). Early results suggest that UBM programs can have a range of positive impacts.Our research chronicles the emergence of eight UBM programs in the US. Portland, Oregon, was the first to launch a UBM program in 2017 and has hosted two additional UBM programs over the years. There are, or have been, UBM pilots and/or programs in the California cities of Sacramento, Oakland, Los Angeles, and Stockton as well as in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. To compare these programs, our research team conducted interviews with city representatives and stakeholders and reviewed reports and other published materials.

Related Publications

research report

A Survey of Universal Basic Mobility Programs and Pilots in the United States

research report

A Survey of Universal Basic Mobility Programs and Pilots in the United States

Publication Date

March 21, 2024

Associated Project

Implementing a Community-Based Mobility Wallet: A Los Angeles Case Study

Author(s)

Caroline Rodier, Angelly Tovar, Sam Fuller, Mollie Cohen D'Agostino, Brian Harold

Areas of Expertise

Safety, Public Health, & Mobility Justice

View research report

Abstract

A lack of reliable and affordable transportation exacerbates socioeconomic inequities for low-income individuals, especially people of color. Universal Basic Mobility (UBM) pilots or programs are a relatively new approach to addressing financial barriers to travel among the transport-disadvantaged. UBMs provide individuals with funds for various mobility options, including transit and shared modes. This study reviews the UBM programs and pilots implemented in the United States. It also reviews international applications of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platforms. These platforms may reduce the administrative cost of implementing UBMs and help users identify and compare available travel options. In addition, the review describes critical program design tradeoffs to consider when developing a UBM program or pilot. Finally, key UBM elements and lessons learned are summarized to assist other communities considering UBMs.

Related Publications

policy brief

Universal Basic Mobility May Spark New Shared Mobility Markets in Underserved Communities

policy brief

Creative Reallocation of Curbs, Streets, and Sidewalks Accelerated by the Pandemic May be Here to Stay

Publication Date

July 1, 2023

Associated Project

Changing Transit Ridership and Service During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author(s)

Adam Cohen, Jaquelyn Broader, Susan Shaheen

Areas of Expertise

Public Transit, Shared Mobility, & Active Transportation

View policy brief

Abstract

Curb space has been traditionally designed for private vehicle parking, public transit, and passenger and commercial loading. However, in recent years, a growing number of newservices and activities have increased the demand for limited curb space, including passenger pick-up and drop-off; last-mile delivery (e.g., courier network services, personal delivery devices); electric vehicle (EV) charging; micromobility parking and use (e.g., personally owned and shared bikes and scooters); and carsharing services. The curb serves a variety of functions such as vehicle and device storage (including personally owned and shared vehicles and devices), outdoor dining and retail, greenspace, and other uses. These changes are contributing to a notable shift in how people access and use the curb, and how public agencies plan, prioritize, and manage curbside interactions.

Related Publications

policy brief

Local Government Strategies to Improve Shared Micromobility Infrastructure

other

Video: Transit & Traffic: A Primer

policy brief

Changing Transit Ridership and Service during the COVID-19 Pandemic

research report

Assessing the Economic Impact of Speed Limit Changes on Safety and Mobility in California

Publication Date

June 9, 2023

Associated Project

Assessing the Economic Impact of Speed Limit Changes on Safety and Mobility in California

Author(s)

Michael Zhang, Sarder Rafee Musabbir

Areas of Expertise

Safety, Public Health, & Mobility Justice

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Abstract

This project estimates the safety and mobility impact of changing speed limits on California highways. The safety impact is estimated using statistical models to predict the change in the frequency of all crashes and fatal or severe crashes that would result from varying the design speed (85th percentile speed). Statewide crash and traffic data (from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, the Highway Safety Information System, and the Performance Measurement System) were combined to develop a balanced and sampled dataset for the statistical models. Three different increases in differential speed limits (DSLs; whereby trucks and cars have different speed limits) lead to increases in the frequency of all crashes, including fatal and severe crashes, for all of the classified segments (urban, rural, and different design speed segments). The operational condition (speed, travel time, delay) is tested using seven simulation segments with urban-rural classification. Four different differential speed limit scenarios and four uniform speed limit (USL) scenarios are tested for each of the simulation segments. The results show a decrease in travel time but an increase in fuel consumption as the speed limits get higher. The safety cost of crashes and operational costs were also estimated based on the simulation models. In general, as the speed limits are increased, the safety costs increase with the predicted increases in crashes, particularly severe and fatal crashes. The operational costs, on the other hand, generally decrease as the speed limits are increased. However, the amount of operational cost decreases are subject to greater uncertainty than the safety cost estimates are, due to uncertainties in sampling and demand estimation and in negligence of construction costs of roadway and signage changes to accommodate the new speed limits. From the economic perspective in this study, raising speed limits on rural California highways could reduce monetary costs, as savings in operational costs would exceed losses from more crashes.

Related Publications

policy brief

The Costs and Gains of Raising Truck Speed Limits

white paper

Advanced Air Mobility: Opportunities, Challenges, and Research Needs for the State of California (2023-2030)

Publication Date

February 1, 2024

Associated Project

White Paper: Urban Air Mobility and Advanced Air Mobility

Author(s)

Jacqueline Huynh, Alex Bayen, Susan Shaheen, Adam Cohen

Areas of Expertise

Intelligent Transportation Systems, Emerging Technologies, & Big Data

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Abstract

Advanced air mobility (AAM) is a broad concept that enables consumers access to air mobility, goods delivery, and emergency services through an integrated and connected multimodal transportation network. AAM can provide short-range urban, suburban, and rural flights of about 50 miles and mid-range regional flights up to several hundred miles. State law delegates responsibility for oversight in aviation primarily to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). This white paper presents an overview of the state of the market, such as the aircraft under development and forecast market growth, and discusses factors that could facilitate the development of AAM or pose risks to its deployment or to the public, including the safety and the regulatory environment, airspace and air traffic management, security, environmental impacts, weather, infrastructure, and multimodal integration, workforce and economic development, social equity, and community engagement and social acceptance. It concludes by recommending actions that Caltrans and other state agencies can take to facilitate the development of AAM.

research report

The Effects of Truck Idling and Searching for Parking on Disadvantaged Communities

Publication Date

June 1, 2023

Associated Project

Addressing the Impacts of Truck Idling and Searching for Parking on Environmental Justice Communities

Author(s)

Miguel Jaller, Ivan Xiao

Areas of Expertise

Freight, Logistics, & Supply Chain Safety, Public Health, & Mobility Justice Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

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Abstract

This project identifies factors that affect three truck-related parameters: idling, searching for parking, and parking demand. These parameters are examined in communities in Kern County California that have high air pollution levels and are located near transportation corridors, industrial facilities, and logistics centers. Daytime truck idling is concentrated in and around commercial and industrial hubs, and nighttime idling is concentrated around major roads and highway entrances, and exits. Truck idling, searching for parking, and parking demand correlate with shorter distances from freight-related points of interest such as warehouses, increased size of nearby industrial or commercial land use, and proximity to areas of dense population or income inequality. Based on these findings, policy recommendations include targeted anti-idling interventions, improved truck parking facilities, parking systems that provide real-time availability information to drivers, provision of alternate power sources in parking facilities to allow trucks to turn off, cleaner fuels and technologies, enhanced routing efficiency, stricter emission standards, and stronger land-use planning with buffer zones around residential areas.

Related Publications

dataset

Truck idling and parking data for AB 617 disadvantaged communities study

policy brief

COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Influenced Bus Ridership Recovery

Publication Date

January 1, 2024

Associated Project

Will Transit Ridership Ever Recover From COVID-19? A Case Study of Los Angeles

Author(s)

David Brownstone, Henry Bernal

Areas of Expertise

Public Transit, Shared Mobility, & Active Transportation

View policy brief

Abstract

COVID-19 has had lasting effects on transit ridership, with the worst declines seen in high-income, better educated, urban neighborhoods. However, declines among immigrant and/or low-income households was well documented prior to the pandemic, as more gained access to private vehicles. This has created a unique challenge for transit agencies to bring riders back to transit in cases where they may have already switched to traveling by car or consciously chose to make fewer trips. To better understand ridership during the pandemic, we documented the recovery of bus ridership in Los Angeles County and its relationship with COVID-19 vaccinations between April and December 2021, before the Omicron COVID-19 wave. We then developed a statistical model that relates LA Metro bus ridership as a percentage of October 2019 levels with the percent of adults fully vaccinated by ZIP code. We tested whether the relationship between vaccinations and bus ridership varied by two events: first, the full reopening of businesses in California and second, the wave of COVID transmission caused by the subsequentDelta variant.

conference paper

Identifying Types of Telecommuters Based on Daily Travel and Activity Patterns

Publication Date

June 6, 2022

Associated Project

Identifying Types of Telecommuters based on Daily Travel and Activity Patterns

Areas of Expertise

Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

View conference paper

Abstract

The ongoing health crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and the imposed social distancing measures have led a significant portion of workers to adopt “working from home” arrangements, which have greater impacts on workers’ daily activity-travel routines. This new-normal arrangement will possibly be sustained in large measure since the pandemic returns at a certain interval with its new variants. This study explores the activity patterns of workers exclusively working from home (telecommuters) after the initial 2020 pandemic year and deemed as “the 2021 post-vaccine” year. The research classified the activity patterns of telecommuters via Latent Class Analysis. The model results suggest that telecommuters’ activity patterns can be split into three distinct classes where each class is associated with several socio-demographics. Class 1 constituted workers from high-income households who tend to have a conventional work schedule but make non-work activities mostly in the evening. Class 2 was composed of workers from low to medium income, non-Asian households whose work is not pre-dominate but with out of home non-work activities spread throughout the day. Last, Class 3 members are workers of middle to older age, living without children, who primarily remain at home during the day with a conventional work schedule. If telecommuting is to continue at levels much greater than prior to the pandemic, then research insights regarding the variations of activity-travel demands of telecommuters could help to make telecommuting a successful travel demand management tool.

conference paper

An Exploratory Analysis of Alternative Travel Behaviors of Ride-hailing Users

Publication Date

June 6, 2021

Associated Project

The Influence of Housing Characteristics on Complex Travel Behavior

Areas of Expertise

Travel Behavior, Land Use, & the Built Environment

View conference paper

Abstract

The emergence of ride-hailing, technology-enabled on-demand services such as Uber and Lyft, has arguably impacted the daily travel behavior of users. This study analyzes the travel behavior of ride-hailing users first from conventional person- and trip-based perspectives and then from an activity-based approach that uses tours and activity patterns as basic units of analysis. While tours by definition are more easily identified and classified, daily patterns theoretically better represent overall travel behavior but are simultaneously more difficult to explain. We thus consider basic descriptive analyses for tours and a more elaborate approach, Latent Class Analysis, to describe pattern behavior. The empirical results for tours using data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey show that 76% of ride-hailing tours can be represented by five dominant tour types with non-work tours being the most frequent. The Latent Class model suggests that ride-hailing users can be divided into four distinct classes, each with a representative activity-travel pattern defining ride-hailing usage. Class 1 was composed of younger, employed people who used ride-hailing to commute to work. Single, older individuals comprised Class 2 and used ride-hailing for midday maintenance activities. Class 3 represented younger, employed individuals who used ride-hailing for discretionary purposes in the evening. Last, Class 4 members used ride-hailing for mode change purposes. Since each identified class has different activity-travel patterns, they will show different responses to policy directives. The results can assist ride-hailing operators in addressing evolving travel needs as users respond to various policy constraints.

Related Publications

conference paper

Heterogeneity in Activity-travel Patterns of Public Transit Users

policy brief

Dashboard Cameras Combined with AI Provide an Affordable Method for Identifying Curb Usage

Publication Date

April 1, 2024

Associated Project

Pioneering Methods for Automated Curb Usage Pattern Recognition

Author(s)

Murat Arcak, Alex Kurzhanskiy

Areas of Expertise

Intelligent Transportation Systems, Emerging Technologies, & Big Data

View policy brief

Abstract

The increasing reliance on transportation network companies (TNCs) and delivery services has transformed the use of curb space. The curb space is also an important interface for bikeways, bus lanes, street vendors, and paratransit stops for passengers with disabilities. These various demands are contributing to a lack of parking, resulting in illegal and double-parking and excessive cruising for spaces and causing traffic disturbance, congestion, andhazardous situations.

Related Publications

research report