Cities across the United States face the major issue of inequity in transportation where the benefits and costs of transportation systems are not fairly distributed amongst the population. Ironically, the increase in mobility options available in urban areas, such as car sharing and micromobility, has worsened an already inequitable transportation system. Cities will face another new form of transportation services soon: Urban Air Mobility (“UAM”). The goal of the UAM industry is to offer a safe, convenient, and affordable form of daily transportation available to the masses. Commuters would request on-demand electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft (think “flying cars”) to take them between ad hoc locations within a city.
This Note argues that, without proper planning, UAM will worsen an already inequitable transportation system. Additionally, existing federal aviation regulations and state and local laws pose a significant barrier for the UAM industry to serve as an equitable form of transportation. This Note concludes by offering solutions that federal, state, and local lawmakers should adopt to ensure that UAM contributes to transportation equity.
a. J.D. Candidate, 2023, University of Illinois College of Law; B.S.E., Mechanical Engineering, 2017, University of Michigan; Commercial Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI/CFI-I). Thank you to the University of Illinois Law Review staff, members, and editors for their support in editing and publishing this Note. This Note is dedicated to my parents and flight instructors who have inspired my interest in aviation.
The full text of this Note is available to download as a PDF.