Partnerships with Transportation Network Companies: A Case Study of First-Last Mile Innovations in Research Triangle Park

Public transit struggles to cover the first-last mile gap, commonly defined as the gap between a transit stop and an individual’s origin or destination. Transit agencies have experimented with various solutions, including direct operation of demand-response transit (DRT) and fixed-response transit (FRT) shuttles that feed into the main transit system. While helpful in improving first-last mile connectivity, these are often prohibitively expensive to operate. With the recent advent of ride sourcing technology and platforms, transit agencies are beginning to establish partnerships with transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft to help cover this service gap. This study examines RTP Connect, a partnership in Research Triangle Park formed between the regional transit agency, GoTriangle, and Uber and Lyft. GoTriangle-operated DRT and FRT programs that preceded RTP Connect are included for comparative analysis. This study finds that TNC-Transit partnerships provide satisfactory first-last mile service at a substantially lower operational cost than transit-operated DRT and FRT programs. The study concludes by suggesting that improving first-last mile connectivity, particularly in less dense urban environments, is integral to sustaining and improving transit ridership.Master of City and Regional Plannin