Getting around Metro Vancouver just got easier!

We are excited to say we are partnering with with Evo Car Share, Modo Co-operative, and Mobi by Shaw Go bike share to help make multimodal travel easier, more convenient and more seamless for residents in Metro Vancouver.

The partnership will assess and explore how TransLink and the three local companies can provide customers the convenience of bundled mobility services.

Parking spaces around our transit system are often reserved for shared bikes and cars and thousands of customers use these services as a first-mile last-mile connectivity option.

Last year – TransLink, through its Open Innovation Call – invited individuals, entrepreneurs, academics, and industry insiders to present their ideas on the future of mobility in the region. A total of 90 submissions were evaluated against a specified set of criteria and the successful proponents selected by an internal panel.

TransLink’s New Mobility Forum brought together these partners. Leaders in government, industry, and academia met and discussed how we regulate, manage, and deliver transportation in Metro Vancouver.

Speakers included David Zipper, Resident Fellow, German Marshall Fund; TransLink’s CEO Kevin Desmond; Jonathan Cote, Mayor of New Westminster & Chair, Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation, and others (see photos!).

TransLink’s CEO Kevin Desmond

(L-R): Shirley Samujh-Dayal, Sr Manager, Govt & Public Affairs, TransLink; Jonathan Cote, Mayor of New Westminster & Chair, Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation; Spencer Chandra Herbert, MLA, Vancouver – West End; and Terry Beech, MP Burnaby North-Seymour

(L-R): Sandra Phillips, CEO, movmi; Michael van Hemmen, Public Policy Manager, Uber; Zack Wasserman, Head of Global Business Development, Via; and mark Hallenbeck, Sr Data Science Fellow, Director of the Washington State Transportation Center

(L-R): Eve Hou, Project Manager, New Mobility, TransLink; Laura Beattie, Special Projects/Customer Service Manager, Mobi; Patrick Nangle, CEO, Modo; and Eric Hopkins, Senior Vice President & Chief Strategic Ventures Officer at BCAA

(L-R): David Zipper; David deKozan, VP Business Development, Cubic Transportation Systems; Jake Sion, COO, Transit App; Chloe Spano, VP Business Development & Innovation, Cityway; and Arnd Batzner, University of St. Gallen

(L-R): Caitlin Cooper, Project Manager, Regional Transportation Strategy, TransLink; Sean Simpson, Director of Technology, City of Surrey; Dale Bracewell, Manager, Transportation Planning, City of Vancouver; and Peter Russell, Sr Manager, Sustainability & District Energy, City of Richmond

Discussions on government perspectives on New Mobility, ride-hailing, Mobility as a Service, and governing the smart city attempted to take a deeper look at how we continue to deliver on our services to keep millions of customers moving.

We regularly receive feedback from customers about more options to get around the region. With this partnership, we can explore more options to help you get where you want!

Metro Vancouver boasts of a great network of shared mobility options and this is yet another milestone in that connectivity puzzle. The aim of this partnership is to increase access to multiple modes of active and sustainable transportation.

One of the key aspects of improving livability in the region is to reduce the number of private vehicles on our roads. With more shared mobility options, you can conveniently travel in the region. In June 2017, we partnered with Modo Co-operative. Currently, seven Metro Vancouver transit stations in five cities now have a combined ten carshare parking spots with more expected! In February 2018, we partnered with Evo Car Share to bring carsharing services to our customers.

The Open Innovation Call is a part of the larger New Mobility initiative which examines broader transportation trends to better understand evolving consumer demands and travel patterns. Seamless mobility was identified as a priority in the Mayors’ 10-Year Vision and funding towards advancing this objective has been earmarked under the Phase 1 Investment Plan.

Stay tuned for announcements about what this exciting partnership will mean to you!

Authors: Manjit Gill & Tanushree Pillai