Solving the First/Last Mile Problem
Solving the First/Last Mile Problem
It’s an age-old question: what’s the best way for people get to and from a transit system? During last month’s Remix Transit Talk, a panel of transit leaders explored strategies for solving the First/Last Mile problem, and how making transit viable for more people ultimately builds more equitable cities for everyone.
Here are the main takeaways:
1. It’s less about the technology and more about holistic system design
There’s no substitute for good system design, and good design starts with clear goals and priorities. Jarrett Walker, head of Jarrett Walker + Associates and Human Transit, sees the First/Last Mile problem often as the upshot of contradictory expectations from stakeholders. “On the one hand, we hear complaints about ridership being down,” Walker says. “On the other hand, we hear complaints about what’s not personally convenient to them. It’s like yelling at your taxi driver to go both left and right at the same time.” Agencies need to be aware of the inherent tradeoffs between ridership and coverage in their transit systems, and be willing to make concessions to commit to what’s most important to the community.
Zak Accuardi, Program Analyst at TransitCenter, reminds us that the First/Last Mile problem isn’t fundamentally different from the equity challenges that underlie transportation planning in general. “It’s about understanding the challenge first and figuring out how new technologies can improve those issues,” Accuardi says, “not about identifying a new tool and finding a place to apply it.”
2. TOD is one of the best solutions
As exciting as it is to focus on new technologies, it’s important for agencies to remember the oldest transit mode of them all — walking. Accuardi pointed to recent research that shows that the people who walk to and from transit are those who use it most. “Transit-oriented development is one of the best solutions to first/last mile because it puts people near transit in the first place,” Accuardi says.
According to Accuardi, this should inform the priorities of transit agencies. “The choice versus captive rider paradigm is no longer a useful frame,” he says. Instead, his research shows three distinct groups: occasional riders, who might ride transit to a sporting event, for example; commuters, who use transit solely to get to and from work; and all-purpose riders, who ride transit regardless of the task at hand. Accuardi’s research shows that when agencies work with cities and developers on projects for this last group — the group most likely to walk to and from transit — it helps to spur the greatest amount of ridership.
3. Transit agencies can’t bear 100% of the responsibility
Mass transit works best in dense areas. When cities are built to be spread out, solving the First/Last Mile problem with public transit alone is probably too tall an order. “Where population density isn’t high, we have to understand that paying a bus driver to go through that area might not make sense,” Walker says. “Some places are so geometrically unsuited to transit that transit agencies could spend their entire budgets just on those places and still not provide something that’s satisfactory.”
Walker advises agencies to push back when they feel pressure to spend budget on routes that might not make sense.
Accuardi agrees. “Land use may not typically be part of the purview of transit agencies, but that doesn’t mean agencies shouldn’t be involved in those conversations. They have a stake, so they should have a voice,” he says.
4. Agencies need to foster a culture of change
At the agency level, implementing a new project can be very complex, especially when the project is in uncharted territory. Political roadblocks, funding challenges, and unclear data all risk derailing an unproven concept.
Chris Cochran, Senior Planner at Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), insists on the importance of identifying opportunities to create a culture of change within your agency to push against these headwinds. Last year, PSTA launched Direct Connect, a partnership with Lyft and Uber to bridge the First/Last Mile gap in their service area. “For a program like this to be successful, you need leadership from the top, and you can’t be afraid to fail,” Cochran says.
It’s also important to ally with federal and state players to collaborate, especially as funding gets unclear in the future. “In order to get the best bang for buck, we need to experiment. We need people to be on board from all parts of the government and know this is a community solution, not just a transit solution,” he says.
5. It starts by visualizing the station
Rider experience is crucial when addressing the First/Last Mile. When riders have a set of choices for continuing their journey, they’ll pick the solution that’s best for them. “When I think about stations in Europe, all the logical alternatives are right there,” Walker says. “If you start by visualizing the station, it’s easier to know what you want riders to do next.”
Walker laments that at most stations, park & ride is the only immediately obvious solution to riders, which crowds out alternatives like bikeshare, TNCs, and walking. “That’s where the role of the agency stops, and educating on alternatives begins,” he says.
Being your own advocate
There may not be a universal answer to the First/Last Mile question, but as partnerships like Direct Connect become more popular, we can expect to see innovation around First/Last Mile solutions become the norm, not the exception. This kind of innovation will make public transit more viable for more people, ultimately building more equitable cities for everyone.
But it starts with transit planners having the confidence to try new things. As Accuardi puts it, “Be your own advocate, and never just settle for what feels possible.”
You can watch the full hour-long panel discussion here:
