Private and public transportation are being replaced with electric scooters and electric bikes in cites where they make sense, but cities are run by liberals who do not understand, instead going back to the 19th and 20th centuries for fixed rail trains, trams and trolleys, totally disrupting the existing traffic routes.
Milwaukee has torn up its streets to make a fixed rail trolley running in a four block loop route where there is little to no economic activity, but they are free - free for the homeless and others to make their new traveling homes.
The stops are in the middle of the block on raised platforms considerably narrowing the streets, so that when the trolley stops all the cars behind have to stop, and then the light changes to green but the trolley is still stopped. NIGHTMARE
Worse, the annual traditional Christmas parade floats are too big to use on the now very narrow streets so the parade was canceled (funding was also an issue but has always been overcome). Alternate routes are too difficult for floats to negotiate and would be at some distance from parking if such a route could be found.
Shuttles are just glorified buses which already exist in the cities. Shuttles buses only work when going from one fixed place to another fixed place carrying at most a brief case and umbrella; groceries, shopping bags not so much. Just because some fancy tech is included does not change the fundamental use of the shuttle bus.Regular city buses are likely far more flexible.
It could be that's a very specialized niche. You won't have people going to ordinary jobs on such buses and it does depend on having the same destination and more or less the same starting points.
But private shuttles do get people out of their own cars, and given all the talk about the decline of community in modern America, it may not be a bad thing for people who work together to live in the same neighborhood and go to work together every day.
Or does that sound too much like a cult?
I lived in Milwaukee in the early 60’s & worked in DOWNTOWN. This news is just plain sad.