New Shared Mobility Network announces visionary 2030 goals
Nearly 50 public, private and nonprofit organizations announced a major initiative to develop and advance the Shared Mobility Action Agenda so that by 2030, equitable, low-carbon shared mobility will be more convenient, more practical, more available, easier to use and more accessible and affordable than driving a car.
“The gas price spike has - again - made many of us painfully aware of our overreliance on cars. While electrification is necessary, it’s not enough to solve our systemic mobility problems,” said Benjamin de la Peña, CEO of the Shared-Use Mobility Center. “The Agenda and Action Network intend to make shared mobility the first and best option over car ownership within the decade. We need to do this to fight climate change, make mobility more equitable, and to help households save money. This isn’t just another sign-on document. We’ve developed a to-do list to actually get it done.”
This is a pivotal moment for the future of transportation. Low-income households spend almost 40 percent of their income on transportation. Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC) says the latest research shows that the nation is running out of time to take bold action on the climate crisis. The number of people killed by drivers nationwide while walking increased almost 50 percent over the last decade, and more of the victims were older adults and people of color, says SUMC.
“Shared mobility strategies can deliver on the promise of safer roads, more equitable transportation, and the sustainable movement of people and goods – if done right. That's why we’re here,” said Marla Westervelt, vice president of policy at Coalition for Reimagined Mobility. “Coming together with an influential network of public, private and community advocates, we can collaborate and act to shape the transportation of tomorrow and address the current global energy security and climate crises.”
More than 50 public, private and non-profit organizations have already committed to advancing the agenda, which supports all shared transportation options, from public transportation to ride-hail, from car-sharing to on-demand responsive microtransit, from shared bikes and scooters to paratransit. In advance of the release of version 1.0 of the agenda later this summer, the immediate goal is to continue to grow the number of participating organizations and gain even more momentum.
“As the global leader in TransitTech, we believe in a world where everyone has access to efficient, affordable mobility. The cost of car ownership is higher than many families can afford, but far too often is the only way to access jobs, education and healthcare. Technology to make transit flexible and shared can help all types of communities -from rural towns to big cities increase economic opportunity for their residents while reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Hind Ourahou, Mobility Policy principal at Via.
The International Energy Association finds that having more shared rides and using more public transportation and micromobility can reduce global oil consumption by as much as 800,000 barrels per day, which is nearly 300 million barrels per year, saving money and reducing harmful air pollutants.
“The devil is always in the details,” said Kevin Chambers, founder and principal of Full Path Transit Technology. “There are so many ways that shared mobility can be done wrong. Getting so many organizations and individuals with different perspectives together to collaborate on the best paths forward will help ensure we make measurable advances on shared mobility. A priority for me has been making sure that the agenda includes the needs of rural and community-based mobility services.”
Another benefit of moving to shared mobility is communities can stop ceding valuable property to parking lots and highways and adding to existing maintenance deficits on miles and miles of land currently dedicated to moving and accommodating cars. The agenda aims to ensure we maximize the benefits of making shared mobility more convenient than driving a car.
