LOCATION
STATUS
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Article Published in AIA Avenues Volume 3
TYPOLOGY
BICYCLING
ROLE
Designer
Urban Mobility Daily asks, "Has Public Transit Finally Found Its First Mile-Last Mile Partner in Micro Mobility?"
The article explains that only some Americans will bother to walk more than one-half mile to public transit, acknowledging the affirmative's potential impact. However, increasing that radius to only one mile and a half will capture nine times the likely riders. With DC already walkable and various transit options accessible within the city, the suburban periphery is the fertile ground for increasing transit ridership. Metro can only serve major centers where bike commuting is typically under one percent. Outside the half-mile radius of the station, ridership quickly diminishes. The "first mile-last mile" dilemma has been a hard nut to crack, with limited vehicle and route choices.
The suburban periphery of DC is a challenge that WMATA is now effectively addressing with its Bike and ride facilities as a viable means of encouraging bicycle and, eventually, other micro-mobility modes. With about thirty percent of all Capital Bike Share trips used to access Metro, Capital Bikeshare is now integral with most metro stations. Notably, Bikeshare trips are typically about one mile, with three miles at the upper limit of a trip distance, potentially expanding Metro's reach considerably. Given sufficient infrastructure ensuring a comfortable ride to the Metro on a morning or evening commute, this option will continue to expand and grow ridership.
Article Link: https://issuu.com/urbandesigncommittee/docs/avenues_volume_3
