Research-Driven Innovation

Research is Crucial for Multimodal

Transit agencies have been promised affordable on-demand solutions for a decade. Multimodal can offer a lower cost per rider compared to microtransit, but without the right optimization, multimodal doesn't work.

Multimodal optimization is fundamentally more complex than microtransit. You need to:

• ...optimize not just for shuttles, but also fixed route like bus and rail
• ...model and optimize transfer timing, walking links, and connection reliability
• ...have dynamic rerouting that adapts to fixed route delays, traffic, and new ride requests
• ...avoid, but account for, missed transfers and cascading delays
• ...do all this extra work at city scale, in real time, in a fraction of a second

The optimization behind multimodal is what actually unlocks 3-5x lower cost per rider.

Why Modal is Different

Hard problems take time - while competitors were still focused on microtransit, we've spent the last eight years building the optimization required for true multimodal operations.

Competitors now offer basic multimodal features (request a ride, route to a stop), but this doesn't generate meaningful cost savings. Without deep optimization, multimodal behaves like microtransit with extra steps: high operating cost, low reliability, and inconsistent transfers.

If you're considering a multimodal solution, here's what you should ask vendors (and us):

1. What evidence do you have that your multimodal leads to 3-5x lower cost per rider?
2. What recent peer-reviewed research supports your multimodal routing engine?
3. Which people from that research are developing your technology?

What this Means for Transit Providers

• You get a product built by people advancing the field - not catching up to it
• You get unparalleled efficiency from optimization that's the best in the industry
• You get on-demand that delivers with better cost and performance than microtransit