M II A II R II K
Senior Member
Study Finds Access to Real-Time Mobile Information Could Raise the Status of Public Transit
Mar 16th, 2011
By Kadley Gosselin
Read More: http://americancity.org/buzz/entry/2945/
PDF Report: http://latd.tv/Transit/Tech-For-Transit-Summary.pdf
In November 2010, Latitude Research and Next American City launched a study to investigate how new technologies and information access can improve transit and other life experiences; specifically, the study sought to uncover how cities, transportation providers and technology companies can work together to develop these information-based solutions and, ultimately, encourage adoption of more sustainable transit. The results of the study indicate that, while users value the freedom and control a car provides, mobile information solutions could replicate this sense of autonomy without needing to own a car—primarily by helping users to make informed, in-the-moment decisions about what’s available near them and the best ways to get around.
- “Real-time and personalized transit information has the ability to make public transit a more flexible, equitable, and enjoyable experience, thus minimizing the perceived experience gap between car ownership and other modes of transit typically thought less convenient or accessible by would-be users,†explains Marina Miloslavsky, study lead and Senior Research Analyst at Latitude. Study participants—18 regular car users who agreed to go car-free for one week—experienced unexpected benefits as a result of re-thinking their daily transit.
- Two-thirds reported that the car-free week exposed them to new things, and twice as many participants felt more integrated into their communities than had expected to before the study week, with the majority also citing health and money-saving reasons to reduce their reliance on driving.
- Participants were regular drivers, 24-51 years of age, living in the Boston and San Francisco metro areas who agreed to forego use of their cars for one week. Boston and San Francisco were chosen due to their dedication to improving transit through new and innovative technological initiatives, including open data solutions. “Oftentimes, we can’t envision new possibilities without undertaking something extreme,†says Miloslavsky, who specializes in deprivation as a study methodology.
Autonomy matters more than ownership, and it’s enabled by tech.
When it comes to transportation, users want an experience that offers them freedom. More than two-thirds of participants cited convenience, flexibility and control as the chief advantages of car usage—not comfort, status, or any other benefit inherent in vehicles themselves. Information received through apps or the mobile Web can help to replicate these “experience-based†benefits for users who travel without a car.
.....
If you ditch your car (at least some of the time), you gain a community.
Twice as many participants felt more integrated into their communities as a result of going car-free than had expected to. “This week I’ve really enjoyed walking along Market Street and discovering what a fantastic city I live in,†explains Mark V., a study participant from San Francisco. “I always knew it was a great place to live, but being forced to rely on public transportation only reinforced this.†In many cases, shared offline experiences such as riding the same bus or walking the same route every day prompted positive personal discoveries of new places and people as well as unexpected emotional connections.
.....
Mar 16th, 2011
By Kadley Gosselin
Read More: http://americancity.org/buzz/entry/2945/
PDF Report: http://latd.tv/Transit/Tech-For-Transit-Summary.pdf
In November 2010, Latitude Research and Next American City launched a study to investigate how new technologies and information access can improve transit and other life experiences; specifically, the study sought to uncover how cities, transportation providers and technology companies can work together to develop these information-based solutions and, ultimately, encourage adoption of more sustainable transit. The results of the study indicate that, while users value the freedom and control a car provides, mobile information solutions could replicate this sense of autonomy without needing to own a car—primarily by helping users to make informed, in-the-moment decisions about what’s available near them and the best ways to get around.
- “Real-time and personalized transit information has the ability to make public transit a more flexible, equitable, and enjoyable experience, thus minimizing the perceived experience gap between car ownership and other modes of transit typically thought less convenient or accessible by would-be users,†explains Marina Miloslavsky, study lead and Senior Research Analyst at Latitude. Study participants—18 regular car users who agreed to go car-free for one week—experienced unexpected benefits as a result of re-thinking their daily transit.
- Two-thirds reported that the car-free week exposed them to new things, and twice as many participants felt more integrated into their communities than had expected to before the study week, with the majority also citing health and money-saving reasons to reduce their reliance on driving.
- Participants were regular drivers, 24-51 years of age, living in the Boston and San Francisco metro areas who agreed to forego use of their cars for one week. Boston and San Francisco were chosen due to their dedication to improving transit through new and innovative technological initiatives, including open data solutions. “Oftentimes, we can’t envision new possibilities without undertaking something extreme,†says Miloslavsky, who specializes in deprivation as a study methodology.
Autonomy matters more than ownership, and it’s enabled by tech.
When it comes to transportation, users want an experience that offers them freedom. More than two-thirds of participants cited convenience, flexibility and control as the chief advantages of car usage—not comfort, status, or any other benefit inherent in vehicles themselves. Information received through apps or the mobile Web can help to replicate these “experience-based†benefits for users who travel without a car.
.....
If you ditch your car (at least some of the time), you gain a community.
Twice as many participants felt more integrated into their communities as a result of going car-free than had expected to. “This week I’ve really enjoyed walking along Market Street and discovering what a fantastic city I live in,†explains Mark V., a study participant from San Francisco. “I always knew it was a great place to live, but being forced to rely on public transportation only reinforced this.†In many cases, shared offline experiences such as riding the same bus or walking the same route every day prompted positive personal discoveries of new places and people as well as unexpected emotional connections.
.....