Dr. Don MacKenzie, Assistant Professor, Leads Sustainable Transportation Lab, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Washington

In this talk Dr. MacKenzie will draw on several studies by the University of Washington’s Sustainable Transportation Lab to examine the effects of emerging transportation technologies on the "Three E’s" of sustainability (environment, economy, and equity). The advent of automated vehicles promises to make car travel safer, cheaper, and more convenient, which brings the risk of increased urban sprawl, travel demand, and emissions. Automation may also make mobility services more affordable, and replacing private car ownership with services may mitigate the environmental risks and maximize the benefits of automation. At present, however, the sustainability impacts of mobility services are mixed. We have found that free-float carsharing both complements and competes with (lower emitting) transit in Seattle, and that Uber’s HOP commuter service drew riders primarily from transit despite a stated goal of reducing drive-alone trips. The entry of new mobility services also raises questions about equity of access for different groups. Although sharing public transit stops with corporate shuttles has generated intense opposition in some areas, we found a negligible the effect on actual transit performance. Finally, Dr. MacKenzie will share results of two studies measuring racial discrimination by Uber and Lyft drivers, one a spatial analysis