The way we move about has changed dramatically throughout the past century.
The advent of the automobile in the early 1900s brought with it many benefits, as well as challenges.
With a record driver population, issues like congestion have become common. Thankfully, new technologies have come to light to address these pain points.
A recent study by the U.S. Census Bureau found that the average one-way commute time increased to 27.6 minutes. In 2006 this was 25 minutes, reflecting an increase of 10%.
Investment Implications
As we think through the Future of Mobility – one of my key innovation blocks – we focus on understanding problems that consumers face today. Long and unpleasant commutes are one of them.
Thankfully, there has been various changes across both the employment and mobility spectrum to change this. Companies like Lyft and Bird have made efforts in micromobility (e.g. e-scooters, e-bikes), enabling people to commute to work efficiently and at a reasonable price. On the other hand, the internet (and to a great extent, COVID-19) has normalized working from home for many.
Despite the advancements, friction points remain in the adoption of many of these new technologies. As companies continue to innovate, and as more infrastructure gets built around these technologies, it will be interesting to see how legacy modes of transportation are impacted.
Twitter: @_SeanDavid
The author or his firm may have positions in mentioned securities at the time of publication. Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author, and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.
