HERE’S THE WORST case scenario: By 2045, 70 million additional car-bound people choke American highways. Heavy trucks—carrying 45 percent more goods than today—spew suffocating carbon dioxide across the land. Bridges, tunnels, and freeways continue to crumble, risking lives and more traffic delays.
Luckily, solutions are on the way, many already accessible at the tap of an iPhone. Uber, Lyft, Zipcar, bike share, drone grocery delivery: Technology has repainted the picture of American mobility, and especially in cities. But this revolution isn’t for everyone. Early adopters are those with the social capital, money, and time to play with radical new mobility options. Without access to credit cards or smartphones, most of these services are unusable. Some don’t serve low-income areas.
Dispatches From The Front 