Americans See Public Transit as ‘Backbone’ of Multimodalism

American commuters are open to new mobility options like ride-hailing, bikeshare, e-scooters, and more, but overwhelmingly see public transit as the core support for any multimodal transportation network, according to a new study from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

In the survey, 74 percent of millennials embraced the mobility as a service framework—saying they would use an app to plan and pay for multiple legs of a trip across travel modes and agencies. About 88 percent of millennials also said commute lengths were important to them, suggesting support for transit-oriented development.

Responses from all demographics showed mixed feelings toward autonomous vehicles, leading the study authors to recommend that public transit agencies pioneer adoption of AV technologies in fleets that could provide connections to public transit and fill gaps in service.