CHAPTER 3

Plays

This chapter presents 10 transformational technology plays, as indexed below. The following list is clickable, allowing users to navigate directly to the corresponding play. At the top of the page of each play in the playbook, icons representing the goals are provided as an index (as shown in Table 2). These icons enable users to quickly locate and navigate through the specific goals of each play.

• Play TT-1: Build Trust through Enhanced Security and Communication
• Play TT-2: Create Discount and Ease-of-Payment Programs
• Play TT-3: Expand Adaptive and Motor-Assisted Micromobility Fleets
• Play TT-4: Boost Knowledge and Awareness of New Mobility Services
• Play TT-5: Create Safe Infrastructure for Micromobility Services
• Play TT-6: Facilitate Smartphone-, Data-, and Broadband-Free Ride Booking
• Play TT-7: Expand New Mobility Services in Rural and Tribal Areas
• Play TT-8: Implement Assistive Service Technologies in Vehicles
• Play TT-9: Improve Safety and Comfort for Shared Ride Services
• Play TT-10: Promote Equitable Implementation of Shared AV Services

TT-1: Build Trust through Enhanced Security and Communication

Overview

Ridehailing and app-based carpooling services have the potential to improve mobility outcomes for underserved populations. However, concerns regarding their safety and security can hinder individuals from fully embracing these services. Publicizing and enumerating the safe driving standards for ridehailing and app-based carpooling services is one viable solution to help foster trust in drivers by underserved populations, particularly older adults and people with disabilities. Additional measures such as providing increased education efforts, assistive drivers or attendants, safe rider checks, and additional app-related accessibility features would also help improve trust and increase service use if implemented in conjunction with the safety standards.

Major Barriers

Even though ridehailing and app-based carpooling companies require driver background checks, common worries for new riders include uncertainty about the experience and concerns about safety that stem from getting into a car with an unknown driver or sharing a ridehailing trip with strangers.

In a self-driving vehicle without a human driver, the concerns can be further amplified when there is no immediate human presence to mediate or address any conflicts or safety issues that may arise between passengers during the ride. The lack of a driver as a neutral authority figure may heighten feelings of vulnerability and discomfort.

According to this project’s transformational technologies survey, concerns about unknown drivers and riding with strangers exist across all population groups but are most pronounced for older adults and people with disabilities. The following were among the top barriers:

• Riding with unknown ridehailing drivers perceived as unsafe.
• Having safety concerns about carpooling with strangers.
• Needing to know a driver’s background and driving record.
• Not feeling safe or comfortable when riding with other people without a driver.

Underserved communities may have trouble using ridehailing or carpooling apps and/or communicating with the driver. People who speak little or no English may find it difficult to understand some drivers, while people with auditory disabilities may have challenges communicating with drivers who do not use sign language or other accessible communication methods. Similarly, people with ambulatory disabilities may have trouble finding accessible vehicles that can accommodate their needs. In addition, people with visual disabilities may face challenges in locating and safely accessing vehicles, particularly in crowded or unfamiliar areas. These

difficulties can lead to additional distrust in the service, amplifying the barriers and creating further challenges that limit adoption.

Potential Strategies

• Specify driver match profile for service providers to give riders the option to be matched only with a driver that meets specific criteria (passed background checks or maintained good driving records); this may include publicizing the company process for vetting drivers.
  • If used, this solution must be offered at no additional cost for rides with a safe-certified driver to avoid creating a higher-quality but unaffordable tier of service.
  • For app users, a safe-certified driver could be recognized by an icon next to the driver’s profile information. This would not only incentivize drivers to work toward the necessary qualifications to join the safe driver list but also provide safety verification for riders. User ratings of driver safety could enhance the safety measures of the platform.
• Employ safe rider checks to ensure the safety and comfort of both the rider and the driver and address concerns related to sharing a ride with another unknown passenger.
  • A safe rider check could include measures such as verifying the rider’s identity and screening riders for a history of bad or dangerous behavior in past rides that could compromise the safety of the ride and pose a risk to the driver or other passengers.
• Enable audio/video monitoring or Share My Trip to provide real-time trip status to a trusted contact (e.g., friend, family member, or caregiver).
• Provide driver training or certification to help drivers address different abilities and language barriers.
  • Provide training to drivers on communicating and assisting persons with different types of disabilities. Training programs such as the Passenger Assistance, Safety, and Sensitivity (PASS) driver certification program (Community Transportation Association of America n.d.) could be considered to provide help, assistance, and direction to riders if they request additional assistance.
  • Riders could similarly indicate through their user profile that they need an assistive driver for their ride and then get matched to an available driver with the assistive certification. Riders without a smartphone could call a third-party concierge service such as GoGo Grandparent or the Lime Access Program to communicate their needs to a representative and book an accessible ride.
  • Allow riders to request drivers equipped with knowledge and skills to respond to medical emergencies (e.g., EMT trained) and provide higher care and support to those in need, including older adults and people with disabilities, during their ride. Since this service would pose an additional training cost for third-party companies without a high ROI (due to the lack of need for riders without challenges from disabilities), this solution might benefit from partnership support to help with funding/incentivizing assistive training. To ensure the reduction of this barrier does not create a new barrier, an assistive driver should not pose an additional cost for the trip to the rider.
  • Provide basic, multilingual communication that is regionally and culturally appropriate and/or provide training to drivers on communication techniques when encountering riders who speak little or no English, regardless of a rider’s spoken language. In addition, drivers could have access to smartphone language translation apps for driver and passenger communication.

TT-2: Create Discount and Ease-of-Payment Programs

Overview

Ridehailing and carsharing services, along with future AV services, play a crucial role in facilitating access to employment opportunities, medical facilities, and other essential service locations. Keeping ride prices affordable will increase travel opportunities for underserved populations, for whom certain travel modes can be cost-prohibitive. To lower the cost and enhance the affordability of technology-driven mobility services, service providers could implement discount programs, subsidies, incentives, and other cost-reduction schemes. Service providers could also tap into local resources to reduce costs while expanding service coverage in areas with limited service, such as rural or tribal areas.

Major Barriers

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2022), the official poverty rate in 2021 stood at 11.6%, with approximately 37.9 million people living below the poverty line. The high cost of transportation further exacerbates the financial challenges faced by those living in poverty. The Consumer Expenditure Survey (U.S. DOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2021) reveals that on average, households spent $10,961 on transportation in 2021.

The ability to afford a ride is a major concern, especially for people with low incomes. It is a crucial factor affecting the viability of existing ridehailing and carsharing services. This is also the case for future AV services; shared AV pilot deployers have faced challenges in determining how to set affordable trip pricing for underserved communities.

According to this project’s transformational technologies survey, concerns over price exist across all population groups but are most pronounced for people with low incomes. The following were among the top barriers to affording new or future mobility services:

• Carsharing hourly cost is too high.
• Ridehailing trip cost is too high.
• Self-driving vehicle services are too expensive.

The variability of price is also a cause for concern for low-income populations, especially for those on a fixed income. The fear of uncertain prices, accidental charges, and billing issues further compounds the concerns faced by these individuals. Rural and tribal populations face additional affordability issues related to services being more limited and the need to travel longer distances, leading to higher per-trip costs. People who are unbanked or underbanked face additional barriers in using some existing forms of ridehailing and carsharing services due to payment restrictions exclusively to debit or credit cards. A significant portion of people with low incomes face challenges in accessing basic banking services and financial tools, with 43.7% of such households lacking access to credit cards (FDIC 2021). People who are undocumented immigrants may also hesitate to use a mobility app or connect to a bank for payment.

Potential Strategies

• Implement free or discount programs for mobility services for riders under a certain income threshold (e.g., below the poverty line) to improve access to these services for low-income populations. Funding from local, regional, or statewide sources could be considered, but funding is often a challenge, so this strategy may not be feasible in some communities.
  • State or regional policymakers could consider requiring subsidies or discount programs in rural and tribal areas as well as low-income neighborhoods for operators looking to obtain an operating permit.
• Offer free or subsidized membership and/or payments over time. For those who cannot afford the upfront membership costs of such services, discounted or subsidized memberships provided through nonprofit partnerships could ease the economic burden.
  • Allow options for low-income customers to pay for membership levels in smaller time increments (such as weekly or monthly) as well as single trips to help overcome the barrier of larger upfront costs.
• Implement fare capping for daily or monthly rides where service is free once a threshold is reached.
• Develop alternative methods to pay for services, without the need for a smartphone or credit card (accepted alternative forms of payment could include social security prepaid debit cards, cash, mail-in-payment, or prepaid balances).
  • Deploy information and payment kiosks at mobility hubs, key travel areas, public assistance offices, food banks, and underserved areas that allow for easier cash payment beyond purchasing debit cards at convenience stores.
  • Work with third-party retailers like convenience stores so that riders can pay for tickets or tokens (e.g., barcodes) using cash.
• Implement account-based systems that allow users to transfer transit subsidies to other on-demand services. This approach would enable individuals to use existing fare structures and discount programs, reducing the cost of new mobility services that are planned to be added to the network, such as shared AVs.
• Expand service in lower-density areas, such as rural/tribal areas, by recruiting drivers from senior centers and colleges to build rider pools (i.e., a group of riders willing to carpool) and driver pools to produce sustainable mobility markets and reduce costs.
• Foster partnerships to improve affordability and ease of access to payment. Examples include the following:
  • Collaborate with financial institutions to explore ways to integrate banking services, prepaid cards, or virtual wallets into the payment ecosystem, making it easier for people without traditional banking access to participate in the ridesharing economy.
  • Leverage the expertise of digital payment platforms and payment service providers to develop innovative payment solutions tailored to the needs of low-income populations. This might include features such as flexible payment plans, discounted fares, or alternative payment methods.
  • Encourage shared AV providers to seek both public and private grant funding opportunities to offer more affordable and accessible trips for underserved populations. Regional and state DOTs could offer two-phase grant programs, with initial financing for setup and a second phase after proof of successful implementation.
• Consider neighborhood or community-based operations through community groups that enable affordable travel options.
  • Identify an affordable pricing scheme and suitable alternative payment systems for the local area with community groups.
  • Collaborate with community groups to source alternative financing for the program.

TT-3: Expand Adaptive and Motor-Assisted Micromobility Fleets

Overview

New micromobility options such as docked and dockless bikesharing and e-scooter services have increased short-trip mobility in cities where the technology has been implemented. Motor-assisted micromobility vehicles, such as e-bikes and e-scooters, can provide increased mobility options for those who may have difficulty walking long distances or using traditional bicycles. On the other hand, physical ability barriers and cognitive skill requirements for micromobility use can pose significant challenges to older adults and people with disabilities. Improving the accessibility of these micromobility vehicles depends on both investment in and deployment of adaptive vehicles, along with training and awareness efforts. Adaptive vehicles and training instructions can be tailored for people with a multitude of abilities, comfort levels, and trust levels in micromobility services.

Major Barriers

The majority of vehicles offered by micromobility services are inaccessible to older adults and people with disabilities. This barrier is intersectional with a significant overlap between the two, with disabilities particularly prevalent among older adults. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2021), people with disabilities account for 13% of the U.S. population, or approximately 42.5 million, and older adults account for 17% of the population, or approximately 55.9 million people. Among older adults, 20.5% have an ambulatory disability, 13.3% have a hearing disability, 7.8% have a cognitive disability, and 6% have a vision disability (U.S. Census Bureau 2021).

According to this project’s transformational technologies survey, more than one-third of older adults and people with disabilities, and one-quarter of rural residents and people with low incomes

• Cannot use bicycles due to a disability or age.
• Cannot use e-scooters due to a disability or age.

Beyond the ability to use the vehicle, additional barriers are present in accessing training materials and performing booking and account administration. Materials without accessibility and language adaptations may be inaccessible to people with auditory, visual, or cognitive disabilities, as well as to people who speak little or no English. Furthermore, micromobility devices may not be designed to accommodate the needs of families or caretakers, which can make it impractical or unsafe for those traveling with children or individuals with specific needs to use these services.

Potential Strategies

• Increase the size and availability of adaptive and motor-assisted micromobility fleets.
  • Work with people with disabilities and relevant advocacy or social service organizations to identify the needs and gaps for adaptive bikes, e-bikes, and e-scooters.

TT-4: Boost Knowledge and Awareness of New Mobility Services

Overview

New mobility services can dramatically increase mobility for populations without a car or who rely on one mode of transportation. Promoting new mobility services for all underserved populations is crucial to ensure equitable access and transportation options for everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status, geographic location, or physical abilities. However, the lack of knowledge, awareness, and acceptance of new mobility options leads to misconceptions about vehicle capabilities, ease of use, and safety and poses significant challenges to the use of these services. To improve service use among underserved populations, initiatives should focus on creating inclusive knowledge sharing and fostering awareness and acceptance through targeted outreach, accessible information, and community engagement and training.

Major Barriers

New mobility services are usually based on novel technologies, with which many people are unfamiliar. A lack of knowledge and awareness creates safety perception issues and feelings of being unable to use technology, resulting in lower service use. Information and experiences related to new mobility options often rely on internet connectivity and may not be readily available in non-English languages or formats that are accessible for people with disabilities (such as related to user interfaces and information provision). For micromobility services, learning to use the vehicles may also be a barrier.

According to this project’s transformational technologies survey, lack of information or knowledge is a critical cause for concern for all five target audiences, specifically in terms of

• Not enough information about carsharing.
• Not knowing how to ride an e-scooter.

In addition, a greater familiarity with shared AVs was associated with more positive attitudes toward the technology, and respondents who were less familiar with shared AVs were the most likely to have negative perceptions of the technology.

Lack of information surrounding pricing, availability, and practical use aspects of new mobility services are among the barriers in areas where service is available. However, people with low incomes and people living in rural areas face additional barriers to using new mobility services, particularly carsharing programs. These additional barriers include large upfront costs for an annual membership; high individual trip costs, especially long-distance rides; and a lack of

vehicles or services in the local area. Furthermore, the absence of universal design principles impedes the accessibility and usability of these services.

Potential Strategies

• Increase service awareness and provide information through campaigns in culturally and regionally appropriate languages about how to use new mobility services to educate potential riders and resolve misperceptions. Service awareness could be created through flyers, newsletters, and television and radio broadcasts.
  • Work with community leaders and organizations to improve customer awareness through education efforts and spread information through word of mouth.
  • Focus on communication and education efforts in areas that the populations of concern frequent (e.g., grocery stores, churches, healthcare centers, bars and restaurants, schools and universities, shopping centers, large employers).
  • Emphasize in-person engagement through the mobilization of street teams to improve access to information about new mobility services. Launch public campaigns and organize events to provide live demonstrations and on-site information sharing.
  • Establish accessible information centers in community spaces, such as libraries, community centers, or disability service centers, where individuals can access user-friendly information about new mobility services.
  • Build service awareness in rural and tribal areas as well as other areas where services are not yet available to create demand for these services, encourage community participation, and promote ridership from the start of service.
• Provide travel training or mentoring programs that aim to educate individuals on how to use new mobility services effectively and safely. By providing hands-on guidance, informational resources, and support from trained mentors, participants can gain the necessary knowledge and skills to confidently navigate and use these services.
  • Establish partnerships with service providers to foster experiences and learning, such as learn-to-ride programs that offer training and mentoring opportunities. Hands-on, interactive, and on-site training can be effective, and call-in support lines and buddy programs can help to better understand options.
  • Engage and involve community members and advocacy organizations at the local, regional, and national levels to develop workshops, training programs, and peer-to-peer initiatives to ensure extending access to underserved communities.
• Actively seek feedback and develop information channels to track common questions and misperceptions and address concerns as they arise.
  • Adapt and improve training materials proactively. Establish where reputable information can be found both from ambassadors in community groups and online platforms. Responses to common concerns should be detailed and match in-person communication with community members.
  • Engage in user testing and involve individuals with disabilities, older adults, and other target populations in pilot projects to ensure that services are inclusive, user-friendly, and meet their specific needs.
• Develop interactive guidance and support for populations less familiar and comfortable with new mobility services.
  • Produce interactive videos, online tutorials, or mobile applications that offer step-by-step guidance on how to use and benefit from these services.

TT-5: Create Safe Infrastructure for Micromobility Services

Overview

Micromobility services offer affordable mobility options and enhanced short-distance travel for underserved populations, particularly those who do not drive or have limited access to private transportation. On the other hand, the lack of safe traffic separation infrastructure, like protected bike lanes, poses real dangers to micromobility users, creating a barrier for current and potential riders. If a potential rider’s risk assessment determines the conditions are too unsafe for their comfort, it will likely prevent their use of the services. Creating safe infrastructure, ideally fully separating motorized traffic from micromobility riders, can reduce fear and increase willingness to adopt micromobility.

Major Barriers

Micromobility services have not reached the cultural acceptance threshold to be widely considered usable. This can be linked to key concerns regarding safety, lack of service for children and adolescents, and lack of adaptive vehicles. People with disabilities using nonadaptive vehicles may feel an increased safety risk, while people without proper safety equipment (e.g., helmets) may decline to partake in micromobility.

In this project’s transformational technologies survey, the following concerns were prominent, especially among rural community members, older adults, and people with disabilities:

• There are no bike lanes in the area.
• Riding a bike in the area is not safe.
• Riding an e-scooter in the area is not safe.

Respondents cited lower concern about riding without a helmet, even though helmet-wearing is important to reduce the risk of serious injury in case of a fall. However, the impact of safe infrastructure is substantial. The implementation of safe infrastructure, such as protected bike lanes, has been shown to significantly reduce injury rates for all road users (Urban Institute 2022). Despite the safety enhancements, people may still experience a sense of insecurity when using these services. For example, people with disabilities face multiple layers of inaccessibility with micromobility. Without adaptive vehicles and accessible road infrastructure, a potential rider could be prevented from navigating on a bike or e-scooter. People traveling with children are unaccounted for in bikeshare and e-scooter share designs, while older children are not able to use micromobility services until the age of 18. Furthermore, biking carries a stigma among certain communities, which may lead to avoidance of bikesharing services.

Potential Strategies

• Implement new infrastructure and bolster older infrastructure by performing feasibility studies to prioritize the identification of suitable locations to implement new infrastructure or improve existing infrastructure.
  • Improve infrastructure by adding high-comfort infrastructure elements for bicycles and e-scooters, such as traffic signals that support phasing for these users.
  • Increase driver awareness of micromobility and improve rider safety as well as the perception of safety by implementing new infrastructure (including signage for motor vehicle drivers designed to increase their awareness).
  • Work with people with disabilities in the community as well as advocacy and social service organizations to collect their input on specific micromobility vehicles and infrastructure needs to make them safe and accessible.
  • Incorporate universal design principles into the planning and implementation of projects for micromobility services. Consider the diverse range of users and integrate features to enhance accessibility and navigation for individuals with different abilities.
• Explore feasible and flexible infrastructure solutions, for example
  • Assess the allocation of road space and explore opportunities to repurpose or reallocate lanes to accommodate micromobility services (e.g., repurposing underused spaces).
  • Explore adaptable infrastructure options that could accommodate varying levels of demand and usage patterns. This might include innovative solutions such as pop-up bike lanes or shared street concepts that could be adjusted based on changing needs. This strategy might be particularly useful when building new infrastructure is too costly or the current streetscape does not allow room for additional lanes.
  • Work closely with local planners to ensure that micromobility infrastructure is considered alongside other modes of transportation, aligns with long-term urban development goals, and becomes part of the regional transportation plans.
• Continuously monitor and evaluate the performance of implemented infrastructure improvements, considering factors such as safety, usage rates, user satisfaction, and impact on overall transportation efficiency.
  • An iterative feedback process helps refine and optimize the infrastructure to meet the evolving needs of micromobility services and their users. Use these data to inform future decision-making and prioritize areas for improvement or expansion.
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities through grants, partnerships, and government programs dedicated to transportation infrastructure development. Advocate for dedicated funding streams to ensure sustained support for ongoing maintenance and expansion efforts.
  • Involve local communities, neighborhood associations, and micromobility users in the planning and design process. Solicit their input and feedback to ensure that the new infrastructure meets their specific needs, addresses concerns, and reflects the character of the community. Implement pilot projects to test their effectiveness and feasibility.
• Implement safety equipment programs to increase user comfort, safety, and perception of safety for those populations without access to safety equipment.
  • Provide discounted or free safety equipment to encourage its use (such as helmets, reflective gear, lights, and other protective accessories).
  • Partner with service providers to work toward subsidizing the cost for users.
  • Integrate safety equipment provisions into micromobility rental systems and install temporary safety equipment checkout kiosks or equipment that attaches on and off the micromobility vehicle (requires cleaning/sanitation of equipment/services).

TT-6: Facilitate Smartphone-, Data-, and Broadband-Free Ride Booking

Overview

While providing essential mobility expansion, new mobility services largely depend on and assume that riders have a smartphone, cellular data access, and/or broadband capabilities. Similarly, future AV services, such as shared AVs, are often planned around such technologies for ride booking or fare collection. These assumptions create fundamental barriers for current or future riders, such as unbanked and underbanked individuals, who lack access to such tools to use the services. Potential riders without access to these technologies may be discouraged or deterred from engaging with new mobility options. Introducing modifications that allow users to book or pay for new mobility services with limited or no use of smartphones, cellular data, and/or broadband will make these services more accessible.

Major Barriers

The reliance of new mobility services on smartphones, cellular data, and broadband capabilities creates a digital divide and disproportionally affects those who may stand to benefit the most from transformational technologies. According to the Pew Research Center (2021), the share of Americans who own a smartphone is 85%, but a notable discrepancy exists in smartphone usage among adults aged 65 or older (61%), those with an income less than $30,000 (76%), and those living in rural areas (80%). If a potential rider does not have a smartphone, they will not be able to download the app.

Approximately 24% of households living below the poverty line do not have access to a smartphone (Pew Research Center 2021), showing a clear association between low-income households and a lack of smartphones. People with low incomes are also more likely to have irregular or slow access to data and broadband and may frequently change phone numbers. People in rural areas may also have low broadband and/or data coverage in their area. Both cases make loading and using an app-based service difficult. The issue can be further exacerbated for individuals who are not comfortable using technological devices.

In this project’s transformational technologies survey, concerns were prominent in the following areas, especially among older adults and those living in rural areas:

• Do not have a smartphone to access app-based carpooling services.
• Do not have a smartphone to access ridehailing services.
• Do not have a smartphone to access carsharing services.

Additional barriers persist for individuals who have limited or no access to a bank account, including people who are undocumented immigrants who face additional hurdles when using

mobility apps or establishing connections with a bank account. In 2021, approximately 4.5% of U.S. households were classified as unbanked, indicating that no member of the household had a traditional bank account, and over 30% of unbanked households relied on prepaid cards (FDIC 2021).

Potential Strategies

• Implement programs that aim to bridge the digital divide by providing subsidized or low-cost smartphones, data plans, and broadband services to underserved communities. This could be achieved through public-private partnerships, government subsidies, or community-driven initiatives.
  • Implement pilot programs in select areas to test the effectiveness of modifications or new programs and gather feedback from users.
  • Provide digital literacy training programs to empower individuals in underserved communities with the necessary skills to effectively use smartphones, data plans, and broadband services.
• Launch campaigns to raise awareness about the availability of alternative booking and payment options and the steps needed to access and use them.
  • Create user-friendly guides, instructions, and tutorials that explain the steps involved in accessing and using the alternative booking and payment options.
  • Customize the campaign messaging to resonate with different target audiences and address their specific concerns and motivations regarding the adoption of alternative booking and payment options.
  • Partner with community influencers, local leaders, and organizations to amplify the campaign’s reach and credibility.
• Implement “lite” versions of mobility apps that use less data and explore options to develop offline capabilities within mobility service applications.
  • Implement modified app functionality and supplementary programs that aid in the usage of new mobility infrastructure to help combat cellular data and/or broadband limitations.
  • Employ modified or offline modes to enable users to access previously downloaded maps, schedules, and booking options, ensuring continued service availability in areas with limited or no network coverage.
• Enhance access by providing free or affordable access to internet connectivity.
  • Invest in the expansion of public Wi-Fi networks, particularly in underserved areas and public transportation hubs.
  • Provide free internet access at key points of travel to broaden the availability of high-speed internet.
  • Set up community centers equipped with computers and internet access in underserved areas. These centers can serve as hubs for digital inclusion, offering training, assistance, and resources to help individuals overcome barriers and become digitally connected.
• Implement concierge services for payment, proof of payment, and on-demand hailing, thus improving access for those without the necessary technology, such as smartphones, cellular data, and/or broadband. Solutions include
  • Allow ridehailing requests and reservations to be made by a third party.
  • Provide SMS (text message) access-based systems to request a ride.
  • Create interactive voice response systems to book a ride or make a payment.

TT-7: Expand New Mobility Services in Rural and Tribal Areas

Overview

New mobility services can improve access to transportation and provide greater travel opportunities for rural and tribal communities to increase access to jobs, healthcare facilities, and other key services. New mobility hubs began and are predominantly located in wealthier, urban areas, rather than in low-income neighborhoods or rural areas. This perpetuates the concentration of economic resources in affluent areas while contributing to economic stagnation in rural regions. Rural areas present a challenge to urban mobility models due to low rider density, driver scarcity, and low technology access. Community-based programs and locally driven funding mechanisms can lower costs and increase the feasibility and future sustainability of new mobility options in rural and tribal areas. Service providers can also institute recruitment programs for drivers and/or support staff to expand services and bring down costs in areas with limited service availability, such as rural and tribal areas.

Major Barriers

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, approximately 20% of the U.S. population resides in rural areas (U.S. Census Bureau 2020). Additionally, based on the 2021 U.S. ACS data, American Indians and Alaska Natives, either alone or in combination with other races, make up 2.9% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau 2021).

No or limited service availability is the primary barrier to access to new mobility in rural and tribal areas. As of 2019, 17% of rural areas and 21% of tribal lands lacked fixed broadband, with the least deployment in Alaskan villages [Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 2021]. Moreover, in 2019, the broadband adoption rate was 73% in urban areas, 65% in rural areas, and as low as 41% in tribal areas (FCC 2021). Based on data from the Pew Research Center, Vogels (2021) noted that “rural adults remain less likely than suburban adults to have home broadband and less likely than urban adults to own a smartphone, tablet computer or traditional computer.” In 2021, 20% of rural residents lacked a smartphone (Pew Research Center 2021), and in 2018, 25% of Native Americans and Alaskans did not own smartphones (Public Use Microdata Sample 2021). Furthermore, according to this project’s gap analysis—based on data from FDIC (2018), Pew Research Center (2018), and Public Use Microdata Sample (2018)—rural populations are more likely to be older, have disabilities, and have low incomes. These compounding technology barriers must be addressed equally for successful program deployment.

According to this project’s transformational technologies survey, the lack of available services is a significant issue for all underserved populations, particularly among rural communities. Nearly half of the participants indicated the following:

TT-8: Implement Assistive Service Technologies in Vehicles

Overview

As new mobility services evolve, it will become increasingly important to integrate assistive service technologies to overcome the barrier of accessibility and the usability of these services. Addressing concerns will require elements, including ADA-trained attendants; monitoring and concierge technologies; adapted, accessible vehicle designs, like wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs); and in-app translation services. Operators for new mobility services should also ensure the maximized availability of accessible vehicles during peak travel periods. Early and frequent engagement opportunities during the deployment process can guide vehicle design and increase the transparency of the deployment process, which will be particularly crucial for future shared AV services. Integrating assistive technology will expand mobility opportunities for older adults, people with disabilities, and people with limited or no English, among others.

Major Barriers

The challenges related to accessibility and usability are among the factors that significantly hinder the integration of new mobility services into mainstream transportation systems. Ridehailing, app-based carpooling, and carsharing services, whether in their current conventional forms or as potential use cases of AVs, all encounter unique barriers. One such barrier is the technological requirements, which are not universally accessible. Immediate access is not provided by smartphone ownership and broadband access alone.

For people with visual disabilities, identifying ridehailing vehicles as they approach can be challenging without assistance. People with hearing disabilities may encounter difficulties in communicating with their drivers before or during a ride since communication is primarily verbal while the vehicle is in motion. Individuals who speak little or no English may face similar challenges in communicating with their drivers. Moreover, some people may experience panic when faced with drivers or passengers they cannot easily communicate with.

Driverless AVs are still under development and are eventually intended to be used without the assistance of a supplemental onboard operator. The possibility of future AVs being inaccessible for individuals with various disabilities also presents a significant barrier to their use, perpetuating the current lack of service, such as for people with disabilities, in ridehailing and carsharing programs.

In this project’s transformational technologies survey, respondents identified varying concerns, such as

• Difficulty understanding drivers in ridehailing services.
• Vehicles not being accessible for people with wheelchairs or motorized scooters.
• Self-driving vehicles not being accessible.

The expenses involved in producing specialized modifications or dedicated accessible vehicles limit their availability and increase their rarity. Additionally, AVs deployed in on-demand services, such as ridehailing scenarios, will likely be as much if not more expensive than traditional services. This combination of high production costs and increased operational expenses hinders widespread adoption and accessibility, impacting individuals with disabilities and older adults. Moreover, without government subsidies or private discount programs, this service will remain out of reach for people with low incomes.

Potential Strategies

• Identify the need and develop varying programs with assistive service technologies and adaptive infrastructure since there are no one-size-fits-all modified solutions. These programs might include human assistance services as well as other supporting technologies that provide direction, information, and support on how to use and access vehicle and trip services to ensure a safe and easy-to-use trip. Examples include
  • Add multilingual human assistance (e.g., through video, audio, or internet chat via an app or the vehicle’s technical interface) to resolve the barrier of lack of trust in automated technology by providing human contact and monitoring throughout the trip and improving ease of use for users.
  • Add signage and audio announcements in vehicles to improve communication with people with hearing and visual disabilities.
  • Initiate collaborations between policy, regulatory, and community groups with AV service providers to implement localized and ADA-accessible pickup and drop-off locations for older adults or people with disabilities to select as start/end locations.
  • Encourage service providers to partner with businesses such as WeWALK, which produces smart canes for people with visual disabilities and hearing aids/Cochlear implants for people with hearing disabilities that could be paired using Bluetooth with AVs to inform users of the vehicle location. It is important to note, however, that smart canes can be cost-prohibitive, so affordable options should be prioritized.
  • Provide real-time data and location, including outdoor and indoor navigation, to help people track their vehicles (during a trip, and at their pickup or drop-off locations) through virtual support stewards.
  • Provide channels to communicate with a caregiver (if applicable) during the ride, provide real-time rider/vehicle location information to a caregiver or family member, or enable audio and/or video monitoring of the ride. These capabilities could help increase rider safety and security perception but also necessitate the introduction of controls for user privacy.
• Engage community members in the process of vehicle and software design to ensure that their needs are incorporated from the outset, thereby integrating accessibility into the service from the beginning instead of retroactively making modifications.
  • This strategy may include soliciting input, such as during a shared AV pilot program, from people with different types of disabilities and older adults, on the accessibility of technology and ease of use. Feedback from target populations could help not only meet the needs of diverse riders but also explain the technology and spread awareness.
  • Example areas for accessibility improvements include
    • More accessible/modified vehicles, including low-floor vehicles for easier access and ramps to increase accessible stopping locations.

TT-9: Improve Safety and Comfort for Shared Ride Services

Overview

Shared ride services, especially shared AVs, are critical for improving access to mobility in underserved communities, but their successful implementation requires addressing various barriers and implementing effective solutions. Some riders have concerns about safety and personal comfort when using existing shared ride services. Due to the emerging nature of shared AV technology and a lack of publicly available information about operational and rider experience specifics, these concerns are prominent when considering all phases of an AV trip. Establishment of robust and effective safety standards and protocols can improve underserved populations’ adoption of shared services. The safety and comfort features, trialed and perfected in current technology, will help with setting standards for shared AV services, though specific modifications are needed for future adoption.

Major Barriers

Establishing trust in shared vehicles is a crucial first step among the general public, particularly among populations less inclined to embrace new technologies. Existing shared ride services in ridehailing and carpooling face safety and comfort concerns, especially for night riders, women, and people with disabilities.

A major barrier in AV technology is the lack of trust in driverless vehicles and the related perception of danger. If a potential rider does not trust AV technology, it will likely deter them from attempting a trip. Concerns about the reliability, safety, and performance of AVs contribute to a lack of trust in the technology. Older adults and people who speak little or no English may have limited exposure to information about emerging technologies, including self-driving vehicles. This lack of awareness and understanding contributes to lower trust and willingness to use shared vehicles.

In this project’s transformational technologies survey, the following concerns were most relevant to respondents:

• Lack of trust in AV technology.
• Inability to take over in a potential crash situation.
• Lack of information about self-driving vehicles.

The absence of specific requirements for new on-demand mobility services to be universally accessible and ADA-compliant also poses a significant barrier. Moreover, the adoption of shared AVs faces several additional barriers, including cybersecurity and privacy concerns; legal and

regulatory challenges, including liability and compliance with traffic laws; infrastructure readiness, such as upgrading roadways and establishing charging stations; and social acceptance and behavioral adaptation.

Potential Strategies

• Support the development of on-demand enhanced safety features. Some examples include
  • Emergency stop button that, in the event of a crash or emergency, causes the vehicle to pull over to the side of the road and stop in the first safe location.
  • Emergency evacuation button to open all doors and activate exit ramps/lifts in the event of a crash or emergency.
  • Emergency assist button that calls 911 and shares the trip with the 911 dispatcher (as an in-app emergency button or one-step voice-activated notification).
  • In-app geographic tracking that alerts emergency contacts or caregivers if the vehicle runs off course and allows them to check in with riders and offer resources to get help.
  • In-app or in-vehicle button that connects riders to a 24/7 helpline where operators can provide instructions, offer assistance, and alert authorities in the event of an emergency.
  • In-app, online, or audio monitoring by a caregiver during the ride—this is especially important for riders who might have difficulty using in-app buttons/support mechanisms.
• Provide in-vehicle auditory and visual information regarding stops, trip route, duration, and boarding and exiting instructions to help riders feel safe, secure, and supported throughout their ride. Ensure the features are tailored based on the needs of underserved populations. Examples include
  • Implement monitors that display visual route information and ensure the information is clear and easily readable for riders with auditory disabilities and those who speak little or no English.
  • Explore the use of headphones with audio instructions and narrations (with supportive designs for riders with visual disabilities or older adults), considering the logistics of sharing headphones in a shared vehicle environment and ensuring they are safely stored and easily accessible.
  • Display clear signage in multiple languages throughout the vehicle to assist people who speak little or no English in understanding the information.
  • Provide in-vehicle or in-app translation capabilities to facilitate effective communication between attendants and riders who speak little or no English, addressing any potential limitations and ensuring the system is user-friendly and reliable.
  • Assist riders exiting shared AVs in an unknown or unexpected location with apps, including features specifically designed to meet the needs of individuals with auditory, visual, ambulatory, and cognitive disabilities as well as older adults.
• Include internet availability in new mobility service vehicles to allow continued smooth ride operation and continuous location sharing and enable riders to report any issues or emergencies, ensuring passenger safety and timely response.
  • Explore opportunities to collaborate with internet service providers or use mobile network technologies to equip their vehicles with reliable and secure internet connectivity. This may involve installing Wi-Fi hotspots or using cellular data connections, depending on the infrastructure and coverage in the operating areas.

TT-10: Promote Equitable Implementation of Shared AV Services

Overview

As an emerging technology, shared AV deployments hold the potential to increase access to opportunities in underserved communities, especially through connections to other transportation infrastructure. However, the high costs associated with designing, building, and deploying services like shared AVs create a risk of prioritizing deployment in high ROI environments, potentially excluding underserved communities. Enabling a dramatic paradigm change involves considering the communities with the highest need to foster equitable access and implementation. Implementing a comprehensive approach that combines prioritized deployment in underserved communities, proactive measures to prevent discriminatory biases, and integrated transit-service shared AV deployments will be critical to promoting equitable access and integration and enhancing opportunities for all.

Major Barriers

Barriers to the implementation of new technologies and infrastructure improvements, including early deployments or pilots of shared AVs, are influenced by several factors. One significant challenge arises from the inadequate state of existing infrastructure, which may demand large investments for repairs and upgrades. This issue is particularly prominent in poorer regions that lack sufficient budgets for large-scale initiatives, making it less appealing for shared AV operators to allocate early deployments to these challenging and less lucrative areas, such as rural and tribal areas.

As shared AVs become more prevalent, there is a risk that operators will prioritize densely populated areas with wealthier riders, excluding underserved populations with limited transportation options and facing historically discriminatory planning practices. These practices, such as favoring highway construction and suburbanization, have gated low-income communities and communities of color in resource-limited neighborhoods, exacerbating transportation disparities.

Furthermore, current shared AV deployments mainly focus on fixed routes often serving specific areas like entertainment districts and college campuses, disregarding populations requiring adaptable travel needs such as flexible pickup and drop-off locations. Additionally, they tend to concentrate in wealthier urban service areas, leaving rural and tribal populations with higher travel costs and increased isolation.

Another barrier is the lack of effective connectivity between shared AVs and existing transportation infrastructure. While shared AVs can potentially increase access to opportunities, their current implementation often fails to establish seamless connections, particularly for transit-reliant populations. Isolated shared AV services, without integration with affordable transportation modes like public transit, can be inaccessible for those relying on transit.

Potential Strategies

• Deploy shared AVs as an integral component of the transportation environment.
  • Ensure that transportation transformation includes continued investment in accessible transit and active transportation infrastructure.
  • Ensure that shared AV fleets are connected to existing transportation infrastructure to provide connections to other modes.
• Explore the potential to coordinate planning and funding through contracted partnerships. Operators are unlikely to lead efforts for transportation equity, so agencies and policymakers must make firm decisions. Transit agencies and shared AV providers can work together to
  • Evaluate riders’ personal travel costs during deployments to preserve access and affordability for low-income populations and people with disabilities.
  • Target deployment in low-income areas and those with high concentrations of populations of color.
  • Improve design and operations during service expansions, thereby saving costs.
• Seek grant funding focused on improving accessibility for low-income and minority populations to reduce the cost of operating in these areas and to enhance the transparency of shared AV algorithms that improve service equitability and reduce existing biases.
• Understand existing service gaps and local socioeconomics before deployment to ensure that chosen routes and service areas (for flexible services) prioritize service for underserved populations.
  • Incorporate underserved communities in planning processes to prioritize connections between shared AVs and existing travel service networks and other modes.
  • Keep in mind that information sharing, sourced from local agencies and groups, shortens the timeline for planning. Shared AV operators can pledge to publish or share ride information as a mutually beneficial partnership between community groups/agencies and operators.
• Launch educational campaigns in shared AV operator and transportation organization partnerships to allow for low-income and minority riders to provide feedback on the efficacy of current efforts.
• Track performance and continually evaluate biases.
  • Require performance metrics reporting of shared AV ridership of private operators in cases of public-private partnerships to monitor and ensure that operations are equitable. The geography of trips as well as the socioeconomic indicators of the geographies should be examined.
  • Ensure app rider-matching algorithms are unbiased toward geography and neighborhood selection through policy requirements for shared AV companies.
  • Prevent rider discrimination by minimizing personal rider details such as names and photos in shared AV ride-matching and when alerting riders of shared pickups.
• Implement effective code enforcement, traffic monitoring, and infrastructure maintenance so that the infrastructure in the area being served is in sufficiently good condition [no missing signs, no double-parked cars, or other challenges to the operating design domain (ODD)] and well-mapped to support the ODD of the vehicles in an equitable and safe manner. Rural and low-income areas may have especially poor infrastructure, such as limited sidewalks and