Sarah Boden, Senior Account Executive for Transit Partnerships at Uber Transit, spoke about the unique role that Uber Transit can play in public transit by partnering with transit agencies to fill in transit gaps. On-demand service could be especially helpful as a safe and cost-effective option during late night hours or in areas where transit is scarce. She emphasized that with the pandemic’s lasting changes in work and travel patterns, transit agencies are now needing to rethink how to best serve riders and meet communities’ needs. 

With federal COVID-19 relief funds coming to an end within the next few years and ridership levels still well below pre-pandemic levels, the biggest question is how to pay for transit services going forward. In Massachusetts, there has been a $55 million funding increase to the Department of Transportation, but Undersecretary Tibbits-Nutt acknowledged that this is not enough. She noted there is constant competition among government agencies for state funding. She encouraged valuing transit like other critical government services such as education, and acknowledged the need to fully back transit plans with sufficient funding.