Fly-by transit: A novel door-to-door shared mobility with minimal stops

Abstract

This paper introduces fly-by transit (FBT), a novel mobility system that employs modular mini-electric vehicles (mini-EVs) to provide door-to-door shared mobility with minimal stops. Unlike existing modular minibus concepts that rely on in-motion coupling and passenger transfers -- technologies unlikely to mature soon -- FBT lowers the technological barriers by building upon near-term feasible solutions. The system comprises two complementary mini-EV modules: low-cost trailers for on-demand feeder trips and high-performance leaders that guide coupled trailers in high-speed platoons along trunk lines. Trailers operate independently for detour-free feeder services, while stationary coupling at designated hubs enables platoons to achieve economies of scale (EoS). In-motion decoupling of the tail trailer allows stop-less operation without delaying the main convoy. As a proof of concept, a stylized corridor model is developed to analyze optimal FBT design. Results indicate that FBT can substantially reduce travel times relative to conventional buses and lower operating costs compared with e-hailing taxis. Numerical analyses further demonstrate that FBT achieves stronger EoS than both buses and taxis, yielding more than 13\% savings in generalized system costs. By addressing key limitations of existing transit systems, this study establishes FBT as a practical and scalable pathway toward transformative urban mobility and outlines directions for future research.