Solving for the Last Mile of Urban Transit

The (rapidly) changing landscape of the urban commute in Washington, D.C.

Over the past 5 years, the urban commuting landscape across the United States (and worldwide) has changed dramatically. The “traditional” commute has been under constant assault.

When most people think about cities on the cutting edge of urban transportation technology, Washington, D.C. usually isn’t in their top 5.

However, surprisingly, D.C. is often a first or early market for many urban transportation startups. Here’s a quick history of the more recent waves of urban transportation disruption.

Urban Transportation Disruption in Washington, D.C.

Wave 1 (2011–2012): Uber + Lyft + Docked Bicycles + car2go/Zipcar

Why better than the status quo?

• Cheaper
• More convenient (remember calling a taxi company?)
• Better end-to-end experience

Who got disrupted?

• Taxi companies
• Car rental companies

Wave 2 (2015): UberPool, Lyft Line, Via, and Split