On the role of microtransit in shaping new mobility patterns

Microtransit, a form of demand-responsive transit (DRT), has garnered interest for its potential to complement traditional public transit and address first- and last-mile challenges. However, limited research has explored its impact on travel behavior, particularly its role in inducing new trips that might not otherwise occur. This study addresses this gap with two main contributions: (i) the introduction of a novel digitized methodology that links rider socio-demographics with precise data on the trips they take, and (ii) an evaluation of the extent to which microtransit services stimulate new travel demand, alongside an analysis of the characteristics of these induced trips and the demographics of the riders making them. Using digitized travel survey data from 8,766 microtransit riders across 30 North American cities, we analyzed the socio-economic factors influencing trip generation and assessed how induced trips are impacting urban mobility patterns more broadly. Our findings suggest that microtransit induces new travel demand from diverse populations, including women, older adults, individuals with disabilities, and low-income households, demonstrating its potential to enhance equity in urban mobility. At the same time, strategic planning is essential to prevent microtransit from cannibalizing fixed-route transit services, particularly among populations for whom alternative transit options are available. This research highlights the untapped potential of pairing granular travel behavior data with sociodemographic information using the digital infrastructure of DRT platforms, and its transformative value for tailoring transit services to meet the needs of underserved communities. As cities seek to implement inclusive mobility solutions, microtransit presents a promising mode that can be flexibly deployed within a multimodal urban ecosystem, to balance convenience, accessibility, and environmental objectives.