Google Maps to present a multimodal itinerary 

The new iteration of Google Maps will include a combined itinerary of all transportation modes, door-to-door. In a blog post, Google Maps manager Vishal Dutta said, rather than including various transportation modes separately, the app will combine several modes, like ride-sharing, ride-hailing, scooter-sharing, and public transport.

So when choosing a destination a user will be offered a combination of transportation modes, also displaying cost of each mode. Currently, the app only displays routes for single transportation mode. This a next step for Google Maps in its quest to become a multimodal transportation platform. While many MaaS providers have attempted to tackle this issue, the amount of data and resources at Google’s disposal gives the company a solid fighting chance. 

A guide to mobility data sharing

As cities work to transform their mobility policies and make urban transportation efficient, they rely on data from some of the newer players of mobility industry, like bike-sharing and scooter-sharing companies. Often when these companies are given license to operate in a city, they are also required to share their data with the city. Regina Chewlow of Populus.ai discusses some of the standards for mobility data sharing. Specifically, she talks about General Bikeshare Feed Specification (GBFS) and Mobility Data Specification (MDS). 

Both standards have been introduced by mobility company associations, GBFS – by North American Bikeshare Association and MDS – by LADOT. Generally, GBFS provides data on available vehicles, it includes information on location, battery charge, and vehicle type. MDS, along with the same data, includes information on unavailable vehicles. 

This type of data is particularly important to city administrators to see distribution and capacity of transportation network, its workload and geographic characteristics (such as availability in poor neighborhoods). 

Dehli metro partners with bike-sharing service

Dehli Metro Rail Corporation has partnered with bike-sharing company Yulu, which will provide first and last-mile connectivity for commuters. Yulu plans to deploy 5000 electric bikes, called Yulu Miracles, by the end of the year, and 25,000 by the end of 2020. The company already runs similar operations in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune and Bhubaneswar.