UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — How ride-sharing has impacted the transportation system will be the topic of a web-based seminar presented by Penn State Extension at noon on May 15.
Presenting the 75-minute webinar, titled “A Shared Future of Urban Mobility,” will be Kevin Kerr, Uber’s public policy lead for Pennsylvania.
The session will focus on the impact of ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft continuing to grow and their intersection with transportation policy, planning and the environment in communities.
Those prospects have been analyzed extensively. Recent studies found that ride-hailing services aid in reducing driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and increase individual consumer mobility. In 2017 alone, passengers spent more than $2 billion more in communities where ride-sharing services exist.
Other studies have analyzed the impact ride-sharing services have on individual car ownership and public transportation usage. This webinar will assess how ride-sharing has impacted the transportation system and cover some challenges going forward. The challenge of personal car ownership, what Uber can do to provide new alternatives, and how communities can work with ride-sharing services toward a shared future of urban mobility will be discussed.
The way people view private car ownership is rapidly changing, and ride-sharing and mobility platforms such as Uber provide a shared vision of urban mobility, according to Kerr.
“Uber operates in over 600 cities around the world and serves as a platform to connect people with transportation options — whether that’s bikes, scooters, cars or even mass transit — to get them from point A to point B," he said. "As a technology company, we utilize state-of-the-art systems to bolster trust, allow for rider and driver feedback, and utilize dynamic pricing to maximize driver earnings and rider convenience.”
The webinar also will cover public transit officials' efforts to find ways ride-sharing can complement transit options currently in existence or in the development pipeline. Some are concerned ride-sharing will negatively impact public transit based on the ubiquity and ease of access.
“A Shared Future of Urban Mobility” is the fifth and final webinar in the Penn State Extension Winter/Spring 2019 Land Use Webinar series that ran from Jan. 16 to May 15. The webinar series assists municipal elected and appointed officials, planners, landowners, farmers and community organizations in being informed about land-use issues and decisions in their communities. All programs were recorded and available for viewing.
Other topics in the webinar series include: Zoning Ethics, Jan. 16; Geodesign: Using Data Transparency and Community Voices for Enhanced Land-use Planning, Feb. 20; Municipal Options for Meeting MS4 Compliance Without Breaking the Budget, March 20; and Making the Most of Historical and Heritage Assets: How a Preservation-based Design Ethic Can Promote Economic and Community Vitality, April 17.
The cost of the webinar series is $50 for all five sessions, or $95 for all five sessions for those who want to receive AICP certification maintenance credits from the American Planning Association. The cost is also $95 for all five sessions for professional engineers needing PDH credits.
In addition, registered landscape architects can receive continuing-education credits for a fee of $65.
For more information, contact Peter Wulfhorst at 570-296-3400 or ptw3@psu.edu. To register for the webinars, visit the website.