Control panels for multi-modal urban mobility systems

The city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has partnered with transportation services company Via to bundle its transit services through a single app. This approach, which employs multiple AI mechanisms, allows riders to plan and purchase trips spanning different modes of transportation, depending on their needs and preferences. For cities, the system allows transportation planners and transit providers to set rules for how different modes interact to align with policy and planning goals--prioritizing microtransit trips at night, for instance, or adding ride-hail supply when disruptions in bus service occur.

As platforms for integrating diverse mobility services become more widespread, they point to a future where city planners can define well-regulated markets that allow for private providers to operate alongside efficient and equitable public services, while providing detailed metrics and control that allow adjustments to make services more resilient in the face of short-term disruptions and long-term shifts in demand alike. However, governance processes to monitor and mitigate against bias in routing optimization algorithms and manage market risk from reliance on a single technology provider must be established.