Emicromobility in Ontario Series – Shortening that Last Mile: How Shared Micromobility Systems Connect with Regional Transit Services

A persistent challenge in shifting commuters from personal vehicles to regional transit systems is the “first and last mile” gap, when travellers struggle to conveniently access transit stations from their homes or final destinations. While park-and-ride models have often been used to attempt to address this issue, they often reinforce car dependency and present their own urban planning challenges, such as simply displacing rather than resolving congestion. Within dense urban areas, shared micromobility systems, such as (e-)bike and e-scooter sharing, have gained traction by offering flexible, low-emission alternatives that complement transit networks.

In this session, we explored the extent to which these shared systems can be effectively extended to less dense communities and those with high volumes of intercity commuters. We heard from both a practitioner and research perspective, with speakers from McGill University’s Platial Analysis Lab, providing critical context and insights from the wider evidence base, and the City of Mississauga, reflecting on real-world insights from their shared micromobility program.

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