A surreal city landscape blending traditional architecture with bicycles, taxis, and a subway train, symbolizing modern urban transportation.

Beyond the Subway: How Shared Mobility is Reshaping City Travel

Avery Sinclair in Tech & Innovation December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Uncover how taxis, bikeshare programs, and transit options are competing and changing how we move around urban areas."

The way we move around cities is undergoing a seismic shift. It's no longer just about personal cars versus public transportation. New options like ride-hailing apps (think Uber and Lyft) and bikeshare programs have blurred the lines, creating a complex web of choices for urban dwellers. But are these new options helping or hurting traditional public transit?

For urban planners and policymakers, this is a crucial question. With funding for public transit often uncertain, it's essential to understand whether these new transportation technologies complement existing services or are simply siphoning away ridership. After all, fixed rail transit represents a major public investment, and its success depends on adapting to the changing transportation landscape.

This article dives into a study conducted in Washington, D.C., that examined how taxis, bikeshare programs, and public transit compete (or collaborate) at a trip level. By analyzing a massive dataset of trips, the study reveals key factors that influence how people choose their mode of transportation. We will break down these finding and try to understand the core problem of shared mobility and ridership.

The Rise of Shared Mobility: A Helping Hand or a Headwind for Public Transit?

A surreal city landscape blending traditional architecture with bicycles, taxis, and a subway train, symbolizing modern urban transportation.

For decades, transportation planning has largely focused on the dichotomy between private vehicles and public transit. Policies aimed to reduce congestion or encourage transit ridership were built on this foundation. However, the emergence of shared mobility options has disrupted this traditional framework.

Now, travelers have a wider array of choices at their fingertips: hail a taxi with a smartphone, rent a bike for a quick trip, or summon a shared ride. These options offer flexibility and convenience, filling gaps in the existing transportation network. But the question remains: Do these services enhance urban mobility as a whole, or do they undermine public transit by drawing away passengers?

Here's what the research indicates:

Competition: Ride-sharing services do compete with transit, but aren't likely to cripple public transit systems.
Financial Factors: Decisions between rail or taxi options reveal that travelers are more inclined to use taxis as WMATA fares rise. Bikeshare usage increases more significantly as WMATA fares rise.
Commute vs. Other Trips: Shared-mobility options cater to different purposes than traditional commute trips.

The D.C. study, leveraging a substantial dataset encompassing public transit, taxi, and bikeshare trips, sought to unravel the factors influencing these choices. The goal was to identify the elements that encourage or discourage the use of alternative modes of transportation, particularly in areas well-served by rail.

Shaping the Future of Urban Mobility

The Washington, D.C., study offers valuable insights for cities grappling with the rise of shared mobility. By understanding the factors that influence mode choice, planners and policymakers can make informed decisions about how to integrate these new options into the existing transportation ecosystem. Encouraging mixed-use development, enhancing network connectivity, and offering flexible transit options are all strategies that can help ensure that shared mobility complements, rather than competes with, public transit, creating a more sustainable and efficient urban transportation system for all.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1080/23249935.2018.1523250, Alternate LINK

Title: Shared-Use Mobility Competition: A Trip-Level Analysis Of Taxi, Bikeshare, And Transit Mode Choice In Washington, Dc

Subject: General Engineering

Journal: Transportmetrica A: Transport Science

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Authors: Timothy F. Welch, Steven R. Gehrke, Alyas Widita

Published: 2018-09-21

Everything You Need To Know

How do ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft affect public transportation systems?

Ride-sharing services can both complement and compete with public transit. While they offer flexibility and convenience, filling gaps in the transportation network, research indicates they do compete with public transit. Understanding the factors influencing mode choice, like the convenience provided by taxis, is crucial for urban planners to integrate these options effectively. They are unlikely to cripple public transit systems as there are other financial factors involved.

What role do financial factors play in people's decisions to use taxis versus WMATA rail?

The Washington, D.C. study revealed that travelers are more inclined to use taxis as WMATA fares increase, and bikeshare usage increases more significantly as WMATA fares rise. This shows that the cost of public transit influences the choice to use alternative transportation options. Understanding these financial sensitivities is crucial for policymakers when setting transit fares and planning transportation investments.

How can cities ensure that shared mobility options, like bikeshare programs, complement rather than compete with public transit?

Cities can encourage mixed-use development, enhance network connectivity, and offer flexible transit options. These strategies help integrate shared mobility into the existing transportation ecosystem. By understanding the factors that influence mode choice, planners can make informed decisions to create a more sustainable and efficient urban transportation system. For example, bikeshare programs can extend the reach of rail by offering 'last mile' connectivity.

What are the implications for public transit if shared mobility options primarily cater to different trip purposes than traditional commute trips?

If shared-mobility options cater to different purposes than traditional commute trips, the implications for public transit depend on the extent of the overlap. If shared mobility primarily serves non-commute trips, it may have a limited impact on traditional commute-oriented transit systems like WMATA. However, if shared mobility starts capturing a significant portion of commute trips due to factors like cost or convenience, transit systems may need to adapt by offering more flexible and demand-responsive services to remain competitive.

What specific insights from the Washington, D.C. study can be applied to other cities grappling with integrating shared mobility?

The Washington, D.C. study highlights the importance of understanding the factors that influence mode choice, such as cost, convenience, and trip purpose. Other cities can leverage similar data analysis techniques to identify how taxis, bikeshare programs, and public transit interact within their unique urban environments. By analyzing data on travel patterns, demographics, and transportation costs, cities can develop targeted strategies to encourage the use of shared mobility in a way that complements, rather than competes with, existing public transit systems. Specifically, the finding that fare changes influence transportation decisions is crucial.