COVID-19

Bay Area mass transit could start to resemble Uber or Lyft

August 21, 2020

Susan Shaheen - in a navy patterned blouse and black pants - sits on a circular bench on the platform at the Orinda BART station in Orinda, California.

Transportation Sustainability Research Center Co-Director Susan Shaheen discusses the potential future of public transit and shared mobility during recovery from and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Scooters, electric bikes gain traction as COVID-19 lockdowns ease

July 14, 2020

A man wearing a face mask rides a scooter near the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow on May 15, during a strict lockdown in Russia to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Transportation Sustainability Research Center Co-Director Susan Shaheen discusses how scooters and electric bikes (e-bikes) are gaining traction as the COVID-19 lockdowns ease in the Pineville, North Carolina.

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Car-sharing companies are taking a less germ-infested route in Covid-19 times

May 20, 2020

getaround vehicle with logo

Car-sharing platforms, which have suffered during the Covid-19 lockdown, see an opportunity emerging: an increase in short-distance, local trips as U.S. consumers look for a different way of getting to work and running errands.

Executives from Turo, GetAround and ZipCar are hoping their pitch to customers—a means of travel that is cheaper than car ownership and sanitary—...

Will Bay Area traffic come roaring back after COVID-19? It might if we ditch transit for cars

May 8, 2020

illustration of traffic

While clean air and traffic-free roads have been one of the few silver linings amid the coronavirus pandemic, there are worrying signs that the Bay Area’s fearsome congestion could come roaring back once public life resumes — and perhaps be worse than ever.

That’s because many of those who once packed into crowded buses and BART trains could opt to drive whenever people begin physically returning to...

COVID-19 Impacts on Shared Mobility: On-Demand Rides Shifting to Delivery Services

April 26, 2020

Uber Eats Delivery Person

Image Source: Business Insider

Transportation Network Companies (TNCs, also known as ridehailing and ridesourcing) generate a significant percentage of their gross bookings from trips in large metropolitan areas, including trips to and from airports. For example, in 2019, Uber generated 23% of its ride gross bookings from five metropolitan areas — Chicago, London, Los...