Welcome to the Shared-Use Mobility Center’s weekly guide to the most impactful news, thought-provoking articles and innovative technologies that are shaping our transportation future. We believe in sharing information, just like sharing cars, bikes, and scooters, so if there’s anything additional you’d like to see, just drop us a line.
Announcements
The date you’ve been waiting for is here!
2020 National Shared Mobility Summit
March 17-19, 2020 | Chicago, IL
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place
Evening view from the Hyatt.
Mark your calendars for the shared mobility summit of the year, held at the place Illinois Meetings and Events Magazine named, “Best Conference or Resort Venue” two years in a row. (2016-17). And the location isn’t all that’s new and exciting. Stay tuned!
Coming in September: Equity in Shared Mobility Services
A new white paper and webinar will explore ways the public and private sectors can improve mobility partnerships to give low-income and transportation disadvantaged communities better access to economic opportunities.
Ridehailing/Carsharing/Carpooling
Ridehailing companies think New York’s rules—limiting cruise time between trips and mandating a minimum driver pay—are limiting their ability to operate properly, but city officials say the policies are working in favor of drivers and riders. (And lowering emissions might add.)
Via expands its ridehailing service throughout Chicago and will offer $2.50 rides to and from 65 Metra and CTA transit stations.
Lyft has a new program that will provide veterans with free rides to career, housing, and food assistance programs in San Antonio.
EVs on the rise! Zipcar UK reports that 22,000 carsharing members have used an electric vehicle from the company’s fleet since July 2018.
Partnerships and Programs
The Detroit Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation were awarded $2.6 million in FTA grants to add electric buses and charging infrastructure, with help from DTE energy and EV bus manufacturer Proterra.
Masabi and Fort Collins, CO are launching an account-based fare system and mobile barcode e-tickets for the city’s transit system to speed up boarding and reduce wait times. Efficient and convenient.
A new bus program from the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, in partnership with the Health Forward Foundation, will give free rides to ten nonprofits in the region, a first-of-its-kind program in the nation.
EV tech company WAVE will provide wireless inductive charging systems to the Antelope Valley Transit Authority in Northern LA as the agency transitions to an all-electric bus fleet.
Bikesharing and Micromobility
As Divvy gears up to launch pedal-assist e-bikes in Chicago’s South Side, residents were able to try them out at community outreach events and in organized rides.
Not exactly “carbon-free” but getting there. The Conversation looks at the environmental impact of electric dockless scooters and what it would take for them to be a “net win” for the environment.
Electric mopeds look to be the next micromobility program coming to the DC area as the District DOT announces a four-month pilot for hundreds of the EV motorized vehicle.
According to a new report, a total of 65,124 miles were taken on dockless Lime scooters in Chicago since June 15th with a median distance of 1.1 miles.
Transit
New York’s MTA and Partnership for New York City will be working with six companies to test innovations in public transportation and mobility with the newly formed Transit Tech Lab, with subway and bus improvements as the focus.
A massive regional transportation plan in Maryland wants to improve public transit in Baltimore City and County, Anne Arundel County, Harford County, and Howard County by focusing on service reliability and the needs of all types of riders.
Boston wants the allure of public-private partnerships and big development to fuel interest in connecting the city’s North and South Stations for a more seamless regional transit system.
Pigeon Forge, TN, which has the second-largest rural transit system in the US., had a record-breaking year with a whopping 3.1 million passengers for the 2018-19 season.
Technology
Tap and go, all from your wrist. LA Metro just launched a new TAP wristbandthat stores transit values and passes. You can use it at all Metro validators, gates and fare boxes.
What’s the deal with air taxis? Bloomberg takes a look at how they have come into the public realm and what it’s going to take before we see them in our cities.
French autonomous tech company Navya is stepping away from its AV shuttles and pivoting to developing systems for 3rd party customers.
The auto industry has a vision for cities with autonomous vehicles. But with its auto-centric focus that treats cyclists, pedestrians and bus riders as second-class citizens, it looks pretty dystopian.
Urban Sustainability
“Who is the street for?” Sidewalk Labs dives into the age-old battle around street space in the US and how priorities shifted from pedestrian-friendly thoroughfares to car-clogged roadways—with complete streets as a way back.
The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic have made bold commitments to fight climate change with regional climate policies to curb transportation emissions, but will those policies keep equity in mind to help the transit-underserved and pollution-laden neighborhoods?
Racial segregation has been a major determinant in limiting housing opportunity among marginalized communities in Seattle, but researchers have been using personal “navigators” and neighborhood data to help families find high-opportunity areas for a better quality of life.
Los Angeles is officially kicking the Level of Service metric to the curb and has already started measuring Vehicle Miles Traveled to better frame the issues around traffic congestion to mitigate environmental impacts.
Requests for Proposals, Qualifications, or Information
RFP: Assist in the creation of a Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan
Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation
Chattanooga, Tennessee
August 22, 2019
E-mail: [email protected]
RFP: Forty-Foot (40’) Zero Emission Electric Buses
Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo)
Indianapolis, Indiana
Deadline: September 3, 2019
RFP: Transit District Development Opportunity
City of White Plains
White Plains, NY
Deadline: Friday, November 1, 2019
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