New multimodal trip planners target road users

Moovit, TomTom, and Microsoft Azure have unveiled what they say is the first trip planner to combine driving, parking, and public transit in a single platform.

“Multimodality is [often] used to describe connectivity of different [types of transport], but when it comes to the private car, the key is knowing where to park, how long it takes to walk from the parking lot, and synchronising arrival times with departure of public transport,” Yovav Meydad, Chief Marketing Officer at Moovit, told Cities Today.

“This is what we call the true multimodal experience–it’s more than just connecting from a bus, to the underground, to a scooter; it’s about how drivers connect to the public transport grid,” he added.

Meydad explained that the service may not appeal to all road users, but that there is still huge potential to help drivers who are committed to their cars make alternative plans to use public transport should they encounter delays during their journey.

News of the partnership follows an announcement that Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) is also targeting road users by making tickets for bus and train services available to Uber customers through the ride-hailing firm’s app.

“A collaboration like this allows [our customers] to plan travel from end to end, including first mile and last mile options,” said David Genova, CEO and General Manager at RTD.

A spokesperson for RTD told Cities Today that the “organisation is working with its transit software partner, Masabi, to integrate tickets into other apps”.

While Uber transit is powered by Moovit, the new service in Denver was developed using Masabi’s ‘Justride‘ mobility platform, which the company says is used by over 50 transport agencies and operators around the world.

The decision to team up with Masabi continues a close association between the London-based company and the Colorado state capital.

In 2017, RTD reportedly approved a £1.1 million contract with the software developer to help the city design, develop, and manage its mobile ticketing app.

“Denver is the first deployment of our partnership with Uber, and has generated interest from around the world, with plenty of cities watching closely to see the results,” said James Gooch, Head of Marketing at Masabi.

Uber said in a statement that, “we are excited to be able to offer not just trip planning, but also integrated ticketing–through our partnership with Masabi–right in the Uber app. In the long run, we look forward to a future where riders are able to combine bikes, transit, and shared rides to determine the fastest and most affordable way to get to their destination.”

RTD is responsible for over 100 million riders and nearly 44 million fixed-route service miles annually.