How transit, TNCs can collaborate post-COVID

Source: Smart Cities Dive Published: June 11, 2020

Transit agencies face an uncertain and challenging future as cities lift their shelter-in-place orders, but there could be an opportunity to partner with their one-time rivals: ride-hailing companies. 

In a new white paper, analysts at the Perkins and Will Mobility Lab say transit agencies should consider partnering with transportation network companies (TNCs) as they develop strategies to limit the spread of COVID-19, while also resuming service for commuters. 

COVID-19 restrictions could mean that transit networks will need to run more buses more frequently on busy routes, for example, to ensure passengers can distance from each other while commuting. Under that scenario, TNCs "could alleviate the financial burden on public transit systems by providing transit riders with a more frequent and personalized service," the white paper says, especially on less trafficked routes. 

Gerry Tierney, associate principal of Perkins and Will and author of the white paper, said the restrictions of the pandemic meant that agencies will have to "take all the tools in your toolbox and use them efficiently for the right operations." For low-density neighborhoods where buses might often be empty, ride-hailing services offer a "more nuanced and bespoke kind of transit where it’s appropriate," he said. 

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