arenaintermediate

Make public transit feel as convenient as ride-hailing

345 participants 112 submissions 8 companies watching

Problem Context

Public transit is objectively more efficient but feels worse than Uber/Lyft. The gap is mostly UX: unpredictable waits, confusing transfers, no door-to-door experience. Close the perception gap without massive infrastructure spending.

Public transit is 10x cheaper and 5x more carbon-efficient than ride-hailing. But ride-hailing grew 40% since 2020 while transit ridership dropped 15%. The #1 reason cited: 'I don't know when the bus will actually come.' Real-time data exists but apps are fragmented.

Constraints

Must work with existing transit infrastructure
Budget under $5M for a mid-size city pilot
Must address the last-mile problem
Cannot require smartphone ownership for basic use

Evaluation Criteria

Rider satisfaction improvement
Ridership increase potential
Implementation cost
Equity and accessibility

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