Digital Divide Includes Transportation And Tech

For people who'd rather own a smart phone than a set of wheels, new types of mobile tech are making it increasingly easy to get around cities. A recent report ranks the metro areas that are making best use of these technologies. On top: Austin, TX

1 minute read

February 6, 2015, 5:00 AM PST

By Josh Stephens @jrstephens310

Jason A. Howie / flickr

A recent report ranks the usefulness of mobile technologies for helping people get around, via modes including traditional public transit, fare-free ride-sharing, bike sharing, and the giants of the for-profit peer-to-peer transport companies. The report, by the Frontier Group and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, looks at the deployment of 11 different types of mobile technologies in 70 metro areas around the country.

Top-ranked cities include...

Austin, TX
San Francisco
Washington, DC

"A total of 19 cities have what PIRG and Frontier referred to as 'abundant choices' — at least eight of the 11 technologies. These cities are home to a combined 28 million people and tend to skew younger, with greater access to the internet." This means, of course, that 61 of the cities surveyed are falling behind.

FULL STORY: 10 Cities That Are Getting “Wired Transportation” Right

Wednesday, February 4, 2015 in Streetsblog USA

Technology Transportation United States Ride Sharing Smart Phones Rankings View More

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.