Last week, Dr. Noreen McDonald of UNC at Chapel Hill gave a presentation on how technology and shared mobility are changing options and behaviors. 

Dr. McDonald is interested in how investments in infrastructure such as schools, roads, and bike lanes influence travel decisions and the downstream impacts of those decisions on road safety, public health,and city structure. Her work considers how these relationships differ across space and demographic groups and how new technology (Uber/Lyft/autonomous vehicles) may disrupt these relationships.

Her presentation looked at how transportation barriers prevent millions of people from accessing healthcare every year. Care providers are partnering with shared mobility services such as Uber and Lyft to establish new ways for patients to travel to and from medical appointments. Her talk looked at the models that are emerging, analyze related policy changes that encourage new approaches, and consider the connections to traditional paratransit options.

Watch a recording of the presentation now!