Abstract:Traditional fixed-route, fixedschedule public transit faces both challenges and opportunities from the latest wave of mobility services and new technologies. U.S. public transit ended 2018 with a fourth consecutive year of declining ridership. Multiple factors, including competition from Lyft and Uber, help explain the decline. However, public transit operators can incorporate the many information and communication technologies private mobility companies employ to improve service and reduce costs; and can partner with them to increase accessibility for many more travelers at a lower cost. But this will require technical innovations, improvements in public financing, and changes in transit priorities and management.