Exploring Shared Mobility Public-Private Partnerships

Abstract

Building a reliable and accessible multimodal transportation system throughout Minnesota is the mission of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). To this end, MnDOT has recognized that shared mobility services offer an opportunity to fill public transportation gaps for short trips. Shared mobility services include taxis, van and carpool programs, ride-hailing services such as Lyft and Uber, car share, and micromobility services such as bike and scooter rentals. As these services grow, cities have experienced micromobility and ride-hail services appearing on their streets overnight with little advanced planning from the companies, causing cities to rush ad hoc operational decisions. Local transit agencies in cities need to understand how to create partnership agreements with shared-mobility companies to achieve the best long-term results for their residents. MnDOT seeks to provide streamlined and informed guidance to shared mobility leads in communities that are exploring public-private partnership agreements with shared-mobility companies. This research report, prepared by the Humphrey School Summer Capstone 2022 student team, analyzes key findings from our data, makes informed recommendations for policy change, and proposes future questions to explore. This report was made possible through the professional connections shared with us by Elliott McFadden of MnDOT’s Greater Minnesota Shared Mobility Program and through Mike Greco of the University of Minnesota’s Resilient Communities Project who helped our research team scope out a feasible project. Thank you to the employees of municipalities and shared mobility companies who interviewed with us.