Walking as a service – Does it have legs?

Lyons, Glenn

Abstract

Amidst the hype and prospects offered by technological innovation for shaping the future of mobility, it can be easy to overlook the humble and enduring place and potential of walking as a means of movement in our mobility system. Yet walking may already be part of the change taking place, as technological innovation and behaviour come together. This paper considers the potential significance of pedestrian navigation that has been placed in the hands of smartphone users, referring to it as ‘Walking as a Service’ (WaaS). For individuals physically able to, walking can provide a number of positive attributes including independence, reliability, flexibility, exercise and affordability. Such attributes may compare favourably with other means of transport for shorter journeys. Yet in spite of this it is often not the mode of choice. One of its limitations can be the cognitive challenge – when faced with the unfamiliar - of judging how long a journey could take on foot and determining how to navigate to the destination. Google Maps Navigation now addresses this with what appears to be ever improving attention to usability. Audio-visual assistance ‘holds your hand’ on your journey and keeps track of how far you have left to go and the estimated time needed. With a focus on the UK, the paper explores the prospects for, and place of, WaaS in the future of mobility, also highlighting an apparent sharp increase in average walking trip rate from 2015 to 2018. It draws out a distinction between the business model of Mobility as a Service (MaaS - which sells access to mobility) and that of WaaS (which sells access to geography and consumers) and puts forward the WaaS Circle of Virtue wherein WaaS is able to support sustainability and profitability.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 14, 2020
• Online Publication Date: May 30, 2020
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: May 31, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 1, 2020
• Journal: Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice
• Print ISSN: 0965-8564
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 137
• Pages: 271-284
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2020.05.015
• Keywords: walking; WaaS; MaaS; pedestrian navigation; wayfinding; TDM
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/6003448
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856420305978?via%3Dihub
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Walking as a service – Does it have legs?; Journal Title: Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2020.05.015; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2020 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.