Mobility Management Connections: Virtual Learning Summit

National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM), a federally funded technical assistance center, hosted Mobility Management Connections Summit during the week of March 18-22, 2024. This virtual mobility learning summit fostered discussions on public transit, transportation planning, promoting innovation and sharing of ideas through peer learning. If you missed the event, you can review the recordings and slides from all four days of the summit, as well as read the transcripts from each session.

• Pre-Summit: Deep Dive – Mobility Management Sustainability Assessment Tool (MM-SAT)
• Pre-Summit: Deep Dive – Universal Mobility Learning Module and Implementation Guide
• Day One: Equiticity, Ride Sheet Pilot, Jackson Medical Mall, Maricopa Association of Governments, Wisconsin Association of Mobility Managers
• Day Two: “Tribal Affairs and Transportation” – Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Public Transit, Connecting Food Access and Transportation, Harvesters Food Bank – Pop Up Bus Stop Pantries
• Day Three: “Mobility Management” – Oklahoma DOT, Iowa DOT, and Washington DOT/Hopelink
• Day Four: “Community and Partnerships” – Georgia DOT, Reporting Methods for Mobility Managers Angeles County Aging & Disabilities Department

Through these engaging sessions, attendees explored innovative mobility management models that focused on optimizing transportation services to improve accessibility and effectiveness. Public transit plays a key role in enhancing connectivity and promoting universal mobility, while promoting access to healthcare and food access to ensure everyone has access to critical services.

Learning Sessions

During the Pre-Summit Deep Dive, attendees learned how to analyze their programming with the Mobility Management Sustainability Assessment (MM-SAT tools) to enhance mobility services in their area. This learning module and implementation guide takes a systems approach toward universal mobility as it considers a wide range of supporting strategies, from paths of travel, accessible design, understanding passengers, coordination of services, and the role of technology and data standards. Days one and two, attendees learned that Mobility Managers often work with evolving rider demographics, travel patterns, and transportation innovations, all while trying to design and deliver efficient, high-quality transportation services. As planners and transportation officials consider the expanding range of transportation options, the concept and practice of universal mobility must be the foundation for mobility innovation. Universal mobility, in its simplest form, is a design practice that ensures that all transportation products and services are inclusively designed and available for all user groups.

Day three, attendees heard from state Mobility Manager networks as they described sources of funding for MMs and associated programs, highlighting specific programs across different regions, established community partnerships, the pivotal role of MMs in their region or state, and individual’s projects at the local level. Day four explored ways to build a comprehensive mobility toolbox with innovative tools to enhance transportation access, fostering CCAM agency collaborations. Other sessions included ways to conduct learning sessions on reporting, job descriptions, federal funding opportunities or mechanisms, technical assistance center resource consolidation, and certification programs.

More on Mobility Management

Mobility management represents an innovative approach to efficiently managing and providing coordinated transportation services to diverse customer groups, including older adults, individuals with disabilities, and those with limited incomes. The focus of mobility management is on tailoring services to individual customer needs by offering a variety of transportation options from different providers and ensuring seamless coordination among available services or providers. In their capacity as service brokers, they coordinate transportation services across customer groups, providers, and funding partners. Mobility managers can assume various roles depending on the needs of their region or agency; assisting communities in the development of  plans, programs, and policies while fostering local partnerships. They also advocate for equitable access to public transportation and pedestrian access through land-use policies. Additionally, as travel navigators, they collaborate with human service agencies and workforce centers to address the travel and trip planning requirements.

The Mobility Management Connections virtual summit provided a venue for mobility managers, transportation professionals and mobility advocates to come together for a shared experience. Considering the wide range of job duties of mobility managers, it is imperative for people who represent various fields to share insights for enhancing transportation services in their community. The National Center for Mobility Management has developed informational resources and learning opportunities for mobility managers to grow their programs locally, they have also created the Mobility Management Connections (MMC), an online portal for mobility managers and professionals to network with their peers and share resources. Join MMC today or contact Enjoli Dixon (edixon@easterseals.com) for more information!