North Carolina Department of Transportation

6 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 4 together and integrate mobility services, amenities, and support technologies. Once the various modes are established and the infrastructure built, multimodal travel will be even smoother with the Mobility-as-a-Service (Maas) platform, allowing passengers to plan, book and purchase travel across modes and communities. The department has already had substantial success in discovering and implementing innovative mobility solutions that are great examples of what to expect within the hubs. NCDOT assisted in the development of an on- demand ridesharing service called RIDE in Wilson, a small city 40 miles east of Raleigh. RIDE received national recognition in 2021 with America’s Transportation Award for “Best Use of Innovation and Technology” from the Southeastern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. As a micro transit service, RIDE users can schedule trips using a mobile app or the web and the service does not require pre-booking. The RIDE vehicle makes stops as needed, picking up additional passengers going in the same direction and dropping them off at their final destination. RIDE is a multifaceted service. It improves the reliability of public transportation in Wilson by providing an on-demand alternative to traditional services that require 48-hour advanced booking. RIDE allows people of varying backgrounds with diverse needs to have reliable access to doctor appointments, job and educational opportunities, grocery stores, and other imminent needs. Despite launching in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, RIDE numbers have surpassed the traditional, fixed-route transit system in Wilson which RIDE replaced, illustrating the demand for innovative services to address unmet needs. Preparing for the future of transportation also means using the most cutting-edge technology on the market. North Carolina is maintaining NORTH CAROL INA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTAT ION