The ABCs of On-Demand Transit (ODT)

Conference · Tue Apr 14 00:00:00 EDT 2026

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/3030031· OSTI ID:3030031

Powell, Bonnie ^[1]; Henao, Alejandro ^[1]; Young, Stan ^[1]; Sperling, Josh ^[1]; Duvall, Andrew ^[1]; Shrestha, Ananta ^[1]

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1. National Laboratory of the Rockies, Golden, CO (United States)

On-demand mobility - also referred to as on-demand transit (ODT) - is a form of public mobility that is flexible with respect to where and when service is provided, and ODT deployments have increased significantly in recent years. Transit agencies are becoming increasingly interested in ODT, and due to differing definitions and various service design and business model options, it can be difficult to learn about the emerging industry. This work provides an overview of the definitions of ODT, recent trends internationally and in the U.S., ODT's benefits and challenges (particularly compared to fixed-route transit), three primary service design options, system costs and funding considerations, and a metrics framework for evaluating ODT systems to ensure continued successful performance. Identified benefits include increased service areas, short ride and wait times, increased user flexibility, potential to reduce energy consumption and emissions through shared trips and smaller, right-sized vehicles, increased safety and comfort through door-to-door service, and rich data streams including granular spatio-temporal data that can be analyzed to continuously improve the service. Challenges include scaling ODT service up as small increases in ridership require additional supply to keep service quality high, serving peak times including keeping low wait times, the lack of fixed schedule being challenging for commuters, integrating ODT services with nearby transit systems, and equity for riders without smartphones who cannot track the vehicle in a mobile app. Finally, an overview of seven ODT case studies (in Texas, Missouri, New York, and Ontario, Canada) performed by NREL and related analysis of travel time, energy and emissions, costs, and equity are presented. Initial key findings include: ODT can be cost- and energy-effective compared to fixed-route transit, ODT serves more people than other transit options, and ODT system deployments can be followed by rapid growth.

• Research Organization: National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Vehicle Technologies Office
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 3030031
• Report Number(s): NLR/PR-5400-94851
• Resource Type: Conference presentation
• Conference Information: Presented at the ASCE International Conference on Transportation & Development (ICTD 2025), 8-11 June 2025, Glendale, Arizona
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
micro-transit
on-demand transit