A Microtransit Design Approach for Communities with Transportation Challenges
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kita-ekita-sm-tpp-2026-thesis.pdf
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6.64 MB
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3ab22aeb1c04401056925858fb888424
Author(s)
Kita, Ethan Yoshio
Advisor(s)
Annaswamy, Anuradha
Date Issued
February 2026
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
In many parts of the United States, owning a personal vehicle opens doors to essential services such as healthcare and grocery stores, but also represents a significant financial liability to own and maintain. Those unable to drive or access a personal vehicle in suburban neighborhoods may face additional challenges because they are located in a food or transit-desert, where the distance to the nearest grocery store or transit stop poses significant challenges of accessibility to those without a personal vehicle.
Microtransit services have been proposed as a potential solution to this problem by connecting multiple riders with a shared ride to their destinations. As such, microtransit bridges the gap between transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft and fixed-route public transit, i.e. bus, rail, or ferry. In this thesis, I present a needs-focused approach to microtransit, where service parameters are selected to best serve the specific needs of riders. I apply this approach to North Tulsa by analyzing survey responses collected from November 2024 through July 2025, calculating microtransit routes using a dynamic routing algorithm, and comparing its quality of service (walking and riding times) to bus service.
Based on survey responses, we compare two microtransit service areas in North Tulsa, one that only provides access to the local neighborhood, and an extended service area that includes healthcare centers and shopping centers along Utica and Lewis, connecting residents of North Tulsa with essential services outside their local neighborhood. In comparison to a local-only service area, extending to the Utica/Lewis Corridor results in an increase in average ride time of 5 minutes, or a 10 minute mean increase in total trip time (including waiting time). Compared to fixed-route bus service, the simulated microtransit service achieves a mean trip time improvement of 42.2% over bus service, suggesting that a microtransit service can be designed around stated needs of riders while maintaining a higher quality of service, compared to bus service.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
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