While use of public transit has recovered post COVID, ridership remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels due to a confluence of factors. Combined with work from home and emerging technologies, a new mobility landscape is on the horizon.

Present-day challenges include resource shortages to staff traditional transit services, generally limited and convenient access to public transit, the reality of micro-transit gaps and infrequency and unpredictability of service make it even less convenient to use public transit and when one does, affordable and convenient arterial transportation in many urban areas remain very limited.

Autonomous, shared, electric autonomous services can have a material impact in enhancing and modernizing public transit at large, improving reach and access to transit services, increasing ridership with first/last-mile services, and improving efficiency and customer experience while managing costs. Forward-thinking public transit agencies and operators such as Jacksonville Transportation Authority and Contra Costa Transportation Authority are at the forefront of testing deployments of autonomous shuttles and their ultimate integration into multi-modal transit networks.