The New Mobility Era: Leveraging Digital Technologies for More Equitable, Efficient

52 The New Mobility Era: Leveraging Digital Technologies for More Equitable, Efficient and Effective Public Transportation Ata Khan and Ren Thomas IN BRIEF Digital technologies have the potential to enhance urban mobility to achieve a variety of societal and environmental benefits: They can improve access to public transit for those who are underserved. [...] Change the approach to funding and managing public transit to incorporate digital technologies and greater consideration of equity and long-term efficiency. [...] 10 IRPP Insight | April 2024 All levels of governments in Canada are already developing and implementing policies and programs on upgrading digital readiness and digital equity, and the provision of secure and modern digital services is outlined in Canada’s digital ambition 2023 update (Government of Canada, 2023a). [...] In combination with changes to land use and transportation planning, as well as improvements to the integration of modes of transportation, consumer-focused apps can improve the accessibility and convenience of public transit, and transit operators can benefit from improvements in the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of systems through digitally enabled planning and fleet management. [...] The electrification of commuter rail and the use of digital technologies to modernize all rail-based public transportation can improve the equity, efficiency and effectiveness of service.