Vancouver pilots multimodal transport app

Vancouver’s public transit operator TransLink is trialling a new app that incorporates carshare and bikeshare services alongside information on buses and trains.

The RideLink app will be available to a limited number of people for a trial period and will eliminate the need for several different apps or websites to provide a multimodal experience.

“People will consider multimodal transportation much more often if they can use one single app to plan, book and pay for their travel throughout the city, instead of needing to consult with several different apps to figure out where to sign up for a bike or find a carshare that connects to the transit system,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn.

“This is the first step in creating a truly seamless multimodal experience and decreasing reliance on car ownership.”

There are already over 200,000 registered users of bikeshare and carshare services in Metro Vancouver, and TransLink hopes the new app will allow users to easily transfer between each mode.

The operator is working alongside mobility firms Modo, Evo, and Rogers to deliver the pilot.

Features

The app includes trip planning across multiple modes, as well as the ability to access real-time information about vehicle and bike locations with simple booking and payment methods.

Data from TransLink’s first Shared Mobility Pilot – which launched in 2019 – showed that people were more likely to choose multimodal travel when booking and payment options are simplified.

For the 2019 pilot, users received a contactless Compass Card that worked across public transport, bikeshare and carshare services, with one integrated billing account. Sixty percent of participants said they had reduced personal vehicle use, and 56 percent said they had tried a new mode of transportation because of the card.

As part of the next phase of the trial, TransLink is accepting applications for 1,300 people to test the new app, and will gather feedback from participants over a one-year period on the usability and ease of integration between the services.

The feedback will determine whether the app will become permanent in the future.

App development, beta testing, and integration was made possible thanks to a CAD$250,000 (US$184,000) grant from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities through the Green Municipal Fund.

To be eligible to participate in the trial, applicants must be at least 19 years old, have a valid driver’s licence, a valid credit card, and a smartphone.

Those interested in applying should visit TransLink’s website.

Image: TransLink