The future of shared mobility is easier to judge once you know what the term covers, because federal agencies use it far more broadly than most people do. This guide sets out the official definitions, the kinds of services they include, who regulates the ride-hailing part, and what automated driving does and does not change today.
What does shared mobility mean?
The Federal Highway Administration’s primer on the topic describes shared mobility as the shared use of a motor vehicle, bicycle or other low-speed transportation mode.[1] It enables users to obtain short-term access to transportation as needed, rather than requiring ownership. The same primer puts carsharing, bikesharing, scooter sharing, ridesharing and on-demand ride services under that umbrella, along with shuttles, paratransit and microtransit that supplement fixed-route bus and rail.
In other words, shared mobility describes a way of getting around, not a company or an app. A bus pass, a docked bike and a ride booked on a phone all fit. For a closer look at one type, see private car sharing explained.
Which services count as shared mobility?
The Federal Transit Administration keeps a glossary that is more specific. Its entry for shared-use mobility lists transportation services shared among users: public transit; taxis and limos; bikesharing; carsharing; ridesharing such as carpooling and vanpooling; ridesourcing; scooter sharing; shuttle services; neighborhood jitneys; and commercial delivery vehicles providing flexible goods movement.[2]
| Term | FTA description (condensed) |
|---|---|
| Bikesharing | On-demand access to bicycles at a variety of pick-up and drop-off locations |
| Carsharing | A technology-facilitated, membership-based service giving access to an automobile for intervals of less than a day |
| Micromobility | Any small, low-speed, human or electric-powered device, such as bicycles and scooters |
| Microtransit | Technology-enabled, multi-passenger on-demand service with dynamically generated routing, usually in a designated area |
| Ridesharing | Adding passengers to a private trip where driver and passengers share a destination, including carpooling and vanpooling |
| Transportation network company service | Prearranged transportation for compensation through an app that connects drivers using their personal vehicles with passengers |
Notice that ridesharing and transportation network company service are separate rows. In federal usage, the first is about sharing a trip; the second is a paid, app-based service. Everyday speech blends them.
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What is Mobility on Demand?
The FTA also defines Mobility on Demand as an integrated and connected multimodal network of safe, affordable and reliable transportation options available and accessible to all travelers. In plain terms, it is the idea that planning, booking and paying for different modes could eventually work together. People also use the phrase Mobility as a Service for this, but the FTA glossary uses the Mobility on Demand wording, and so does this guide.
The word to watch is “could.” The definitions describe a goal and a vocabulary. They do not describe a single product you can open on your phone today, and they promise no timetable.
Who regulates the ride-hailing part?
In California, ride-hailing is regulated at the state level, and the state shows what that looks like. Its Public Utilities Commission describes transportation network companies as providers of prearranged transportation for compensation through an online-enabled application, and publishes the permit process, insurance requirements, fee schedule, rules for checking DMV records on drivers, and a zero tolerance policy requirement.[3] It also lists the Clean Miles Standard program and accessibility programs under the same heading.
Other states have their own agencies and rules, and the list of requirements differs. Before you drive, find the regulator that issues the permits in your state and read its page rather than relying on a general summary. A separate question, how private car sharing and its insurance work, belongs to a different guide.
Where do automated vehicles stand?
NHTSA’s page on automated vehicles is cautious. It says that automated driving systems, which some refer to as automated vehicles, may one day be able to handle the whole task of driving, and that, at this time, even the highest level of driving automation available to consumers requires the full engagement and undivided attention of drivers.[4] It adds that higher levels of automation are not available to consumers today, while driver assistance technologies, which provide lower levels of automation, are.
NHTSA’s six levels run from 0 (momentary driver assistance) to 5 (full automation). For a driver today, the practical meaning is that the car you own is a driver-assistance vehicle, and that the legal duty to pay attention remains with you. This guide does not name or rate any operator of automated services, and it makes no prediction about when they might reach your city.
What does this mean for drivers?
Federal and state sources leave a few points clear:
- The category is wide, so a change in one mode, such as a new bike or scooter program, does not by itself change ride-hailing rules.
- California licenses ride-hailing company by company at the state level, and other states set their own rules, so permits, insurance and record checks depend on where you drive.
- Official sources describe automated driving as developing, not as available to buy, and they offer no dates.
- The goal that agencies describe is connection between modes, not replacement of one by another.
A reasonable way to follow the topic is to watch the regulator that licenses ride-hailing in your state and the federal pages cited above, since those are where definitions and rules change in writing. For the emissions angle, see the environmental benefits of carpooling.
