Imagine a time 30 years from now: You sit down on the bus you scheduled through an app just 10 minutes ago. After plugging your biodegradable phone to charge into the back of the seat in front of you, you press a button for a sip of clean water. Looking out at the Albuquerque landscape, you feel peaceful knowing emergency services, doctors, child care, and food resources are available at the press of a button. 

This human-centered vision is what we hope for the future of public transportation—where mobility freedom is available to everyone, for any reason. 

At the foundation of our sustainably built installation is microtransit: an app-enabled on-demand public transportation service. Research on this transportation method done in rural New Mexico showed riders found a new sense of freedom, options, and a more spontaneous life after using their services. Bus to the Future imagines a reality based on microtransit that would make mobility insecurities described in the following quote a thing of the past: “Hey, if Walmart didn’t deliver my groceries, I wouldn’t be alive. I haven’t left my house in three months.” 

While sitting in these chairs, reflect on the freedom of mobility you may or may not have in your life, and how having access to public transportation could enrich your community. 

With most systems struggling financially, the future of public transportation is at risk. The federal government contributes half of the operational funding for public transportation, but only when the other 50% is raised from the local government. Rural communities especially need services like microtransit, and with New Mexico 60% rural, infrastructure like Bus to the Future will have a significant impact. When a community embraces shared transit, case studies show enhanced safety, reduced emissions, a boost in local business, and improved quality of life.