Dive Brief:

• Apps ParkMobile and REACH NOW (formerly moovel) have partnered to work on solutions they say will provide more seamless mobility experiences for parking, transit and multimodal transportation.
• The new solutions will make it easier for users to pay for parking in a transit lot via the ParkMobile app and then easily use REACH NOW to purchase a transit ticket.
• This partnership falls under the umbrella of the joint urban mobility venture between BMW and Daimler, which solidified earlier this year.

Dive Insight:

The partners made their mobility solutions announcement at the International Parking and Mobility Institute Conference this week. Details are a bit vague, but presumably customers will benefit from the companies integrating multiple services into one app. This advances the industry trend of different types of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) companies merging or collaborating and working on integrated app solutions. Cities themselves are getting in on the action as well, evidenced by Louisville, KY releasing its own integrated, public-facing MaaS platform.

ParkMobile recently surveyed its users and found that 55% take public transit every month. That prompted the company to seek ways to better facilitate mobility transitions from vehicle to transit or other first mile/last mile options. Integrated solutions make it easier for customers to use multiple partners' services as they increasingly use more than one mobility mode to get to their destinations. But the service diversification and collaboration also benefits mobility companies at a time when numerous cities have the stated goal of getting more people out of cars and onto other forms of transportation.

Large mobility companies increasingly are expanding beyond their original offerings. For example, Uber and Lyft initially were ride-hailing businesses but through a series of acquisitions, partnerships and service expansions they now provide dockless bikes and scooters, transit and bike-share information and discounts and for Uber, the promise of a new helicopter service this summer in New York City. The Daimler and BMW urban mobility services merger earlier this year similarly diversifies those companies' portfolios and positions them to collectively compete better with Uber, Lyft and other MaaS businesses, especially in the autonomous vehicles development space.