To: Mayor and Jersey City Council Members
From: Bhumika Raj, City ManagerDate: February 24, 2023
Subject: Micro transit service in Jersey City should be driven by the Prioritarian framework to help build a robust model.
Summary
This memo will discuss how the prioritarian framework can fill the gaps and be the most efficient approach to improving Jersey City's transportation network. In Hudson County and across the United States, Jersey City is the fastest-growing city. In terms of geography and demographics, it is dense and diverse. This memo focuses on micro transit as one of the most equitable modes of transportation in Jersey City for on-demand transit services. Micro transit service can cater to the needs of the citizens in a more affordable, accessible, and safe manner. As stated, Via was launched only in 2020 and has a lot more potential and scalability. Making micro-transit options such as Via more accessible is something the city government can pursue. For Jersey City, using the priority framework for micro transit-Via is a compelling argument. Identifying strategies that can facilitate transportation services for disadvantaged communities is a gap to be filled. Furthermore, develop a transportation model that is scalable and resilient so that it can meet the continuous curve of needs now and in the future.
Introduction
Every city relies heavily on transportation, and a robust and accessible system can do so much good. Jersey City boasts an excellent transportation system including Hudson Bergen Light Rail, Path, NJ Transit, Waterways-Ferry, Citi bike system, or micro transit (VIA). Having a great diverse network should not be the only goal. For it to be successful, it should be equitable and serve marginalized communities too. Equity can be very subjective, different city has different approach to equity. Choosing the right kind of framework for Jersey City, required thorough research and knowledge of the demographics and transit dynamics of the city. After the primary research and consultation with stakeholders, I highly recommend the use of the prioritarian framework for driving transportation in Jersey City. Further, that can be advanced efficiently by scaling micro-transit-Via service uniformly across Jersey City’s vicinity. Sufficientarism and Prioritarian framework are equity theories based on the basic assumption of the moral equality of humans and are not egalitarian in nature. Prioritarianism “is based on the view that benefits matter more the worse-off the person to whom the benefits accrue” (Martens, 2017, pg. 171). Functionally, prioritarian resembles sufficientariism, but rather than drawing a single, hard‐cut threshold to designate between a zone of need vs no specific need, it assumes a continuous curve of needs vs unit value of resource distribution.
Lewis MacKenzie KaminskyPrioritarian framework as the name suggests refers to prioritizing the needs of the communities which need it. In the transportation context, it caters to the need of the most disadvantaged who do not have access to transportation facilities for their daily needs. Also, another important factor that plays a major role is that it assumes a continuous curve of needs vs unit value of resource distribution. This implies
with time the needs of the city change and the transportation system should have a robust vision and strategy to survive through the odds in the future and provide services.
Impact on the city
Via is a very holistic model which can have a meaningful impact on a city’s transportation system. In any city’s transportation ecosystem, these three parameters Age, Disability, and Marginalized Communities form a major portion in terms of users but are sometimes not given the importance they deserve. Micro transit options available in Jersey City are Via and jitney buses. The positive impact Via has caused to the city is stated here, the trips have significantly increased since via has been launched and helped save 172,717 miles in that quarter by sharing rides and reducing single occupancy vehicles (Via Jersey City, 2nd Quarter 2022 Performance Report pg. 8) So it’s serving the need of the community. Also, another parameter- Age is also served by Via as it's accessible by phone. One of the very relevant issues is in old age people aren’t tech-savvy, Via providing phone call features removes that barrier of technology. Further on request, it also has ADA options available which makes it accessible for people with disability every time they want to ride it. Via has all the features which prioritize the communities which need it. In terms of payment methodology, the platform takes care of everyone, even the users who have no bank accounts or access to cell phones, other options are provided for them. Further providing more information about the micro-transit as a structure will help make a strong case for how using a prioritarian framework can work in the best favor for promoting Micro transit in Jersey City.
While the focus would be Via due to its scalable model and accessible features. Transportation is like a complex mathematical problem that requires multiple path scenarios. So even after via’s success story, there is another path that needs attention. This path focuses on the overall equity factor that Via can easily improve on. “The literature emphasizes three types of transport-related inequalities that are interconnected and have a key influence on people’s well-being: inequalities of transport-related resources, observed daily travel behavior, and transport accessibility levels” (Rafael H. M. Pereira 2017, pg. 176). Building upon these inequalities as a reference through the lens of the prioritarian framework here are a few recommendations that reflect on what can be done to make Via service more equitable in Jersey City.
Funding/Contracts
It is funded by Jersey City funds and electric fleets are funded by PPP this ensures that the city has the upper hand to control the fare prices or other regulations. This very well falls in the prioritarian framework of providing an equitable framework. City Council can ensure that even with a private player as its key player equity, its equity is maintained. it’s the city’s responsibility to ensure equity is maintained in terms of its functioning and accessibility which is provided by Via’s model.
Ridership and Trips
As per the literature review, Via Jersey City 2nd Quarter 2022 Performance Report there are Ward A, B, C, D, E, and F Wards. After reading through the report there was scope of improvement identified about the trips based out of Northern Part of Jersey City. There are the complete pick-up and drop-off ride when compared with all the wards the highest was found in Ward C having 22,967 trips in 2nd quarter and the lowest in Ward D which was 16,585 trips. (Via Jersey City, 2nd Quarter 2022 Performance Report pg. 2) This shows the gap, which is so much evident. Also, to ensure data is more reliable, I also went
through other quarterly reports of Via from past years and the same pattern is observed in the ridership/ trip data. Using a prioritarian approach can push to introduce more rides in ward D where it’s needed. After analyzing the demographics report, it is evident that the communities in Ward D are not that well off because it's predominantly black, Asian a neighborhood with a median average income less than New Jersey’s average medium income.
Source: (Via Jersey City, 2nd Quarter 2022 Performance Report pg. 2)
https://data.jerseycitynj.gov/explore/dataset/via-performance-reports/information/
Accessibility – Origin Destination Pairs and Resiliency
The top destinations for Via are 10 spots located in Central Jersey while only one is present in Ward D. In terms of origin-destination pairs, there is only one destination in the Heights locality, located in ward D of Jersey City. Most of the destinations were clustered around Newport, Grove Street, JSQ, and downtown Jersey City. So, the network in central Jersey City is quite connected while the south and north area seem to have fewer accessibility options. By following the footsteps of the prioritarian framework ward D and ward A will also be served which can help the community get more accessibility to micro transit. Another important factor for the prioritarian approach of being able to adapt to the changing times as needs will change with time, which will require using techniques that are more eco-friendly. Jersey City’s climate goals also need a significant reduction in carbon footprint by 2050. Via promotes environmental safety as it reduces the carbon footprint of the city by reducing single occupancy vehicles, and the fleet via uses are high capacity and electric vehicles. Even during covid, the model survived due to its tech-enabled features.
Actions should be taken by Jersey City Council along with Via for prioritizing and incorporating all the recommended changes for improving on-demand transportation services. Pushing for a prioritarian framework for driving micro-transit service in Jersey City can help fill the gaps discussed in the points above and provide an exemplary robust model for other cities in New Jersey to replicate.
Best, Bhumika Raj City Manager City Council of Jersey City New Jersey, USA