Dive Brief:
- A new study from DePaul University, which examined ground transportation options in and between different cities, identified Columbus, OH as a "pocket of pain" in terms of intercity ground transportation, as reported in The Columbus Dispatch.
- Columbus earned the "pocket of pain" moniker because it's a city of over 700,000 residents and lacks Amtrak service and express coach lines, making it difficult for people to travel to or from the city if they don't want to drive of fly. Other named "pockets of pain" include Phoenix; Tulsa, OK; and Colorado Springs, CO.
- Among other recommendations, the report suggests that cities invest in constructing dedicated hubs for intercity bus travel — and bonus points if the bus hub has easy access to the city's local rail network.
Dive Insight:
Mobility is one of the most important aspects of a smart city. Intercity mobility is a hot topic, and it's easy for city leaders to get excited about: autonomous vehicles, AI traffic systems and even smart parking systems involve implementing new, disruptive technology. Therefore investing in intercity bus routes or rail infrastructure can seem dull in comparison, but that doesn't make the ability to move between urban areas any less important.
Other than some high-profile plans for intercity mobility, most transportation plans in development have more to do with moving people around in just one urban area. Just look at Boston, Minneapolis or the D.C. metro area for examples of cities making big steps on public transit — many of which involve more than electric or connected busses.
When mobility projects move beyond city limits, they can get complicated as multiple jurisdictions may be involved in permitting and planning. Even though President Trump signed an executive order to make infrastructure permitting easier, the fate of the much-discussed, yet-unplanned infrastructure bill is uncertain. Amid growing political turmoil, Trump canceled plans for an infrastructure council. With the federal government's role in infrastructure left uncertain, city and local leaders will have to step up to the plate to connect urban areas to one another.