Improve commute options between disinvested areas and employment, education and training, and service opportunities

While investing in frequent service on high ridership corridors, transportation agencies must also find ways to improve mobility for low-income residents and communities in areas with limited transit service or travel needs that are not well served by traditional transit options. Shared mobility, including private ride-hailing services, and automated vehicle technologies have the potential to provide more frequent and direct service in low-income neighborhoods, improving connections to jobs that may currently require long transit trips or connecting multiple modes. To ensure that these options are equitable, they must be affordable for residents and there must be public accountability for changes to fares and levels of service. In some cases, the most effective mode of travel may be a personal automobile, and transportation implementers should consider ways to ensure equitable access to tolled facilities. For example, the Tollway developed I-PASS Assist to help income-eligible drivers to easily and affordably obtain an I-PASS. I-PASS Assist works like a standard I-PASS account, but allows eligible drivers to purchase at a discount of $20. CMAP can play a role in identifying gaps in the transportation system for economically disconnected communities, and work with public transit agencies and private sector partners to identify solutions.