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.
SUMC News and Announcements
Virtual Roundtable Today at 3 PM CDT
Northwestern University Transportation Center (NUTC) and the Buffett Institute on Global Affairs invite you to an Asynchronous Virtual Roundtable (AVR) on Shared Mobility and Micromobility in Reopening Cities on Thursday, July 30, 2020 at 1 PM PST/ 3 PM CDT / 4 PM EST. This event is fourth in a series of NUTC AVR “Reopening our Cities” Roundtables, and follows discussions about “The vital role of Public Transportation,” and “E-delivery Challenges.” There will be time for Q & A.
Speakers include (from left to right):
Sharon Feigon – Shared-Use Mobility Center
Susan Shaheen – University of California, Berkeley
Shin-pei Tsay – Uber
Hani S. Mahmassani – NUTC; Northwestern University
Click the Zoom link to join.
Clean Mobility Options Program News: Supporting zero-emission shared mobility in California’s underserved communities
The Clean Mobility Options Program aims to accept Mobility Project Voucher Applications starting at 9:00 am PT on October 20, 2020, which will be processed and approved on a first-come, first-served basis.
There is now $20 million available for Clean Mobility Projects (up to $1 million per project). Of the total $20 million, $2 million is set-aside specifically for tribes.
The Clean Mobility Options Voucher Pilot Program is a statewide initiative to provide zero-emission carsharing, carpooling/vanpooling, bikesharing/scootersharing, innovative transit services, and ride-on-demand services to disadvantaged communities, as well as eligible low-income tribal and affordable-housing communities, throughout California to increase access to safe, reliable, convenient and affordable transportation options.
For more information, please visit the Clean Mobility Options Voucher Pilot Program website or email [email protected].
Mobility Justice
TIME Magazine shares Elevator Pitch, a short film that blends public testimonials from New York MTA meetings with scenes of people navigating transit station stairs to highlight the wide accessibility issues present in the city’s subway system.
The Metropolitan Planning Council, along with the Center for Neighborhood Technology, UIC, and Westside American Job Center, held a virtual discussion on July 17 that looked at the transportation challenges that essential workers from disadvantaged areas face and how equitable mobility access can help low-income communities of color. Watch the recording here.
“Racial segregation was not the byproduct of urban planning; it was, in many cases, its intention…” Read how urban planning policies were and are used to advance racist agendas in housing and public space in Minneapolis from Tufts University Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning Julian Agyeman in The Conversation.
The adoption of shared “Slow Streets” in cities like Chicago, New York, Oakland, and Minneapolis prioritized active transportation and fostered a safer public space for pedestrians and cyclists—for those whose jobs afford them the luxury of working from home. Without input from Black communities, with higher numbers of essential workers, these initiatives are akin to redlining.
Ridehailing/Carsharing/Carpooling
A win for ridehail drivers. The New York Department of Labor has ruled that Uber and Lyft immediately pay out unemployment insurance benefits to drivers in the state after months of delays and backed up payment claims.
Stepping up goals for lower carbon emissions, the California Air Resources Board has proposed a new plan that would require 60% of ridehail miles traveled be from electric vehicles by 2030.
Research from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology found that ridehailing was more likely to complement public transit trips in suburban, lower-density areas of the Chinese city of Chengdu, than in transit-heavy areas.
Regulatory barriers, the ongoing pandemic, and a strong taxi market forced Chinese ridehailing company Didi Chuxing to scale back operations in Japan to trim losses and focus on select cities.
Bikesharing and Micromobility
The micromobility companies Lime, Dott and Tier have all secured operating permits to run dockless scooter-sharing in Paris for up to two years as the city plans to add 2,500 dedicated parking spots to prepare.
“I got my first trike when I was 12, and it opened the world to me.” Streetsblog shares Seattle-based nonprofit Rooted in Rights’ video about the empowering qualities of bikes, trikes, tandems, and other ADA-accessible devices for people with disabilities.
Biking is booming and cities are slowly catching up to providing the necessary infrastructure and public space to make it safe and inclusive for people to roll on two wheels. As the pandemic rages on around the world, Saris Infrastructure believes now is the time to build a more bike-friendly normal.
NY-based micromobility company Helbiz will be bringing dockless scooters to Arlington and Alexandria, VA, following up its launch of e-bikes in the DC area earlier in the year.
Transit
After the US Senate left out dedicated transit funding in the second coronavirus relief proposal, leaders from transit agencies around the country have called on Congress to include at least $32 billion for public transportation systems that support essential workers and those in the healthcare industry.
The New York MTA will receive 50 new electric-hybrid buses from New Flyer and Allison Transmission as the agency moves to reduce CO2 emissions in the city.
After a five-year wait, New Jersey Transit users will now be able to board three light rail lines using only their smartphones and a mobile ticketing app.
Hall Area Transit in Georgia and Via are partnering up to offer a on-demand microtransit service in the Gainesville region that will launch in October this year.
Technology
Local Motors and Florida-based autonomous vehicle company Beep are going to bring all-electric 3D-printed self-driving shuttles to the masses in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s AV TEST program.
Contactless payments are hitting public transportation systems in 500 cities around the world, courtesy of Visa, to usher in touchless options during the COVID-19 outbreak and boost the trend of digital transit fares.
With a grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, a researcher from Binghamton University will work with electric vehicle tech companies BAE Systems and C4V to study fast-charging capabilities for EV buses to allow for 5-10 minute fill ups at major bus stops.
Columbus, Ohio and the Smart Columbus initiative are relaunching the electric, self-driving Linden LEAP shuttles to deliver needed food during the pandemic and offer first/last-mile connections to mobility hubs in the city.
Sustainability
Signaling a bold step forward in sustainable development, New Zealand will stop cities from imposing off-street parking minimums in urban areas (with the exception of spaces for people with mobility impairments) and set a minimum height limit of six-stories for developments near current or planned rapid transit stations.
Around 114 “low traffic neighborhoods” (LTNs) are being implemented all over London to curb car traffic while including bike-and ped-friendly infrastructure for safer streets. Opposition for LTNs, however, hark on potential socioeconomic barriers that they bring when implemented in often higher-income areas while diverting traffic to less-affluent streets.
CEO and president of Ceres Mindy Lubber outlines a multi-faceted approach for how Massachusetts can lead the nation in a net-zero emissions goal that supports a strong “climate-smart” recovery, touching on programs that support energy efficiency, clean energy, and the economy. Read her thoughts on wbur.org.
Accessory commercial units (or ACUs) that were popularized in the early 20th century allowed for mixed-use communities that sustained small businesses in cities while creating denser, more walkable environments for people to access local amenities. With COVID-19 keeping many downtowns empty, Fast Company believes we should bring them back.
Requests for Proposals, Inquiries, and Information
RFP: Twin Cities Electric Vehicle Mobility Network
The City of Saint Paul
St. Paul, MN
Deadline: August 07, 2020
RFI: Technologies to Assess Real Time Transit Vehicle Occupancy
Cal-ITP
California
Deadline: August 7, 2020
RFI: Creative Uses for Utilizing Existing Curbside Electric, Telecommunications, and Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
City of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN
Deadline: August 14, 2020
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