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Owning and driving your own vehicle may eventually take a backseat to using alternative forms of transportation in the mostconnected cities in the country.

Car sharing, ride sharing, bike sharing, public transportationapps and a host of other transportation and technology options areexpected to help fuel the trend away from automobile ownership.

Principle U.S. cities are rated for their options and technologyin "The Innovative Transportation Index: The CitiesWhere New Technologies and Tools Can Reduce Your Need to Own aCar," published by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund and theFrontier Group.

The ranking looks at 70 key U.S. cities. It includes the primarycities in the 50 biggest U.S. metro areas, as well as the largestcity in each state that doesn't have one of the largest metroareas.

No longer necessary to own your own car

With a wide range of transportation options and technologysolutions, "people don't necessarily have to own their own car inorder to have mobility in cities," says Phineas Baxandall,transportation program director at the U.S. PIRG EducationFund.

The report looks solely at which cities have the most tech toolsthat make it easiest to get around without owning a vehicle,Baxandall cautions. It doesn't gauge which cities have the bestpublic transportation or other transportation alternatives.

In the report's ranking, Austin, Texas, holds the top spot. It'sthe only city where all 11 of the tech tools and options areavailable. San Francisco holds the No. 2 spot, with Washington,D.C., a close third.

The study looks at cities by the number of options available andthe number of service providers.

The options and technology studied are:

Car sharing – Consumers use the Internet toreserve cars for daily or hourly use, access them with radiofrequency identification (RFID)-enabled cards and use them forround trips or one-way trips. Companies such as Zipcar offer thisservice.

Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing – An Internet-basedservice is used to pair up individuals who want to rent out therecars with those who want to rent them. "Turo" (Formerly RelayRide) is thelargest such service.

Ride Sharing – The newest model, offered byCarma, involves drivers and riders using a smartphone app toarrange shared rides in real time. The driver receives a smallper-mile fee from the passenger to help cover costs.

Ride Sourcing – These are similar to taxis andpassengers can arrange a ride with a driver using their smartphone.Passengers pay via an app. The best known of these firms are Uberand Lyft.

Taxi Hailing – Services such as Curb letpassengers find and call taxis with their smartphones. In somecases payment is made using a smartphone.

Bike Sharing – GPS and RFID are used to trackbikes. The services charge more for longer rides, encouragingriders to use the bikes for commuting, errands or short trips.

Static Data – This provides bus schedules androute maps online or via mobile devices. It's designed to helpriders navigate public transportation, even when they're on thego.

Real-Time Transit Information – GPS is used tohelp riders use smartphone apps such as NextBus to keep track ofservice in real time so they'll know how long they'll have to waittill their bus or train arrives.

Multi-Modal Trip Planning – Apps are used topull together information so travelers can find the fastest,cheapest, most convenient mode of transportation. RideScout is oneof the apps providing such service.

Virtual Ticketing – Riders can buy ticketsthrough a device such as a smartphone. Mobile devices can reducelines at ticket sales locations and riders don't need to carrycash.

Not-so-wired cities

At the bottom of the list, with just one service and oneprovider, are Billings, Montana; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Charleston,West Virginia; and Fargo, North Dakota.

But even in these less populated cities, as well as suburban andrural areas, technology can help reduce reliance on automobileownership, Baxandall says. Car sharing, P2P car sharing and ridesharing may all be viable options. Or in areas with occasional busservice, it would be easier to use if a rider knew exactly when abus was going to arrive at a stop.

Millennials, who are the most connected generation and relyheavily on their smartphones, are driving this trend fortechnology-enabled transportation. "It's less of a mental leap," ascompared to other generations, Baxandall says.

Related: 5 ways to get quick car insurance online

But aging baby boomers could have a major role to play infurthering this trend, he says. "A lot of folks are lesscomfortable with driving as time goes on. It could be moreimportant in the future for baby boomers."

Driving less may earn you a low mileagediscount

Relying less on your own automobile can also help cut your car insurance bill, says PennyGusner, consumer analyst for Insure.com.

If you drive less because of car sharing, or you rely on publictransportation, you might be eligible for a low mileage discount, which typically averages between5% and 15%, Gusner says.

One insurer may offer a discount if you drive lessthan 5,000 miles a year, while another may give a discount if youdrive less than 10,000 miles each year.

If you give up your vehicle but plan to have one again, youshould consider a non-owner's insurance policy so you maintaincoverage. "Auto insurance providers don't like a lapse in coverageso it's wise to pay for non-owner coverage, which is much lessexpensive than coverage tied to a car, to keep your future carinsurance premiums lower," Gusner says.

It's also a good idea to have non-owner's insurance if youborrow friends' cars on occasion. Although your friends' insurancewill provide primary coverage if you get in a wreck, your policywill cover you if the accident exceeds your friends' policy limits."It can keep you from being left paying out of your own pocket fordamages to others," she says.

Keep reading to see the top 20 cities with alternativetransportation technology.

1. Austin, Texas: 11 options available; 18 serviceproviders

2. San Francisco: 10 options available; 23 serviceproviders

3. Washington, D.C. : 10 options available; 20 serviceproviders

4. Boston, Los Angeles and New York: 9 options; 19providers

5. Portland, Oregon: 9 options; 17providers

Photo: Arina P Habich / Shutterstock.com

6. Denver, Minneapolis, Minnesota; San Diego; Seattle: 9options 16 providers

7. Dallas: 9 options; 14 providers

8. Columbus, Ohio: 9 options; 12 providers

Photo: Richard Cavalleri / Shutterstock.com

9. Chicago: 8 options; 17 providers

10. Houston, Miami, Milwaukie; Tampa: 8 options; 12providers

11. Nashville: 8 options; 11 providers

12. Orlando, Florida: 7 options; 13providers