What Transit Modes Where?

New modes of getting around are exploding. Now, in addition to fixed rail, bus, and streetcar, smartphones and algorithms have expanded on-demand mobility such as microtransit vans, scooters, and e-bike rentals. Some of our streets already have robotaxis and AV shuttles. Will the skies soon include podcars and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)? What kind of city, social equity, and neighborhood form do these different modes shape? In Atlanta, the Beltline is a 22-mile trail loop that has proven the popularity of walkability and bike-oriented development but promised to include future transit. Should that transit continue the city’s historic but troubled investment in streetcars or bet on emerging technologies like AV shuttles? How should such decisions be made about what transit goes where and what kind of city we want? Features Tejas Santanam, Eric Kronberg, and Rebecca Serna.