A Test Ride for Mobility Hubs

Tim Harlow reports on a new pilot program to launch mobility hubs around the city of Minneapolis. Goals of the program include such lofty aspirations of decreasing driving and carbon emissions while increasing use of alternative transportation modes like transit, walking, and biking.

The new mobility hubs offer several alternative transportation options in one location, according to Harlow: "Each one has a bus stop, a bench and parking for Nice Ride bicycles and scooters that can be checked out by smartphone app."

The city opened four such mobility hubs around north Minneapolis in September, using funding supplied by the Bloomberg Philanthropies' American Cities Climate Challenge.

"As part of the pilot, city staff and representatives from the bike and scooter companies have been on site to show people how to access and use alternative transportation modes, and 'getting people to understand what we are doing here,' [Josh Johnson, the city’s advanced mobility manager,] said. The hubs also feature colorful signs with directions and travel time by mode to nearby destinations."

Hat tip to Katie Pyzyk for sharing news of the mobility hubs pilot program and for providing additional context on the mobility hubs concept.