Causing a CoMotion!
Causing a CoMotion!
New and old members alike convened with trailblazers of the Mobility Revolution.
Our team at Urban Movement Labs continues to grow, with two new team members! Andrew Leung and Daria Undeland join us as Program Assistants, where they will be supporting the team’s growing portfolio of emerging mobility projects through policy research, development of pilot projects, and designing collaborative workshops for diverse stakeholders to address a plethora of mobility challenges.
Andrew Leung is particularly motivated to implement solutions that dismantle the spatial logics of inequity. One of his proudest accomplishments involves his work as a Sustainable Development Goals Leadership Fellow, where he collaborated on a GIS consulting project that indexed racial and socioeconomic population data to create a mapping platform that promoted more equitable investment in Los Angeles street assets. Particularly fascinated by the intersection of gender-based discrimination and public space, he also spearheaded a mixed methods initiative that promoted access to all-gender restrooms at the University of Southern California. Within the field of emerging mobility, he is particularly motivated to study and implement creative mobility technologies that foster a more active and vibrant public realm, and engage in community codesign processes that promote roadway safety and access.
Daria Undeland is currently an undergraduate at Occidental University, and is involved in the Occidental Consulting Group, Women in Economics, and APIDAA Club. Her research interests lie in employing economic development solutions to better her community, which she has directly contributed to in her role as a research associate studying the effects of education as a mechanism for recidivism. In her work at Urban Movement Labs, she is excited to contribute to the implementation of projects that are best suited to a majority of stakeholders.
Warner Center TTIZ Receives Funding
We are excited to announce that we have been awarded $2M to identify and pilot first/last mile transportation solutions in our Transportation Technology Innovation Zone at Warner Center. Moving forward, we aim to implement cost-effective, innovative, and consumer-friendly solutions & attract transportation companies to the area for sustained economic benefit. Stay tuned as our work in the Warner Center develops.
Humans of New Mobility
If you were unable to join our second #HumansOfNewMobility virtual workshop, "Advanced Air Mobility is on the Horizon," a recording of the panel is available here. A summary document is in the works and will be shared in the coming weeks.
The Mobility Revolution
We participated in CoMotion LA 2022! This year's program brought together global mayors and policymakers, leading technologists, and venture capitalists, start-ups and established players to push the boundaries of mobility innovation.
Three days of immersive talks, pitches, demos, & workshops offered a path forward for cities as we enter the next phase of the Mobility Revolution. UML’s board member Justine Johnson hosted a fireside chat on how public and private sectors can collaborate to guide Autonomous Vehicles for public good.
Urban Movement Labs also participated in the second annual 2022 K-UAM Confex. During this conference, UML signed a Memorandum of Understanding to join the Global Urban Air Mobility Regional Summit (GURS). The purpose of GURS is to expand the scope of the existing collaboration between the Institute for Aerospace Industry-Academia Collaboration (IAIAC), Incheon Metropolitan City, Incheon International Airport, and UML to be inclusive of more global cities, regions, and research institutions exploring the integration of Advanced Air Mobility technologies.
Reading List
Electrification
Denver spent $4.1 million to get more people on e-bikes. It worked. [Fast Company] When Denver started offering a rebate for residents to buy electric bikes, the city thought that the funding would last for three years. Instead, so many people wanted to participate that it was gone in six months.
bp pulse to launch Gigahub EV fast-charging hubs for ride-hail fleet charging near airports and other high-demand U.S. locations [bp America] The development of the Gigahub network is part of bp pulse's commitment to making the adoption of electric transportation simple, reliable, and cost-effective.
EU approves effective ban on new fossil fuel cars from 2035 [Reuters] The European Union struck a deal on Thursday on a law to effectively ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035, aiming to speed up the switch to electric vehicles and combat climate change.
Are microcars the smaller, greener future of urban driving? [CNN] Micro design can offer novel benefits. The three-wheeled Nimbus One promises to allow drivers to cut through traffic jams using its patented tilting technology.
Maryland School District to Receive a Massive E-Bus Fleet and E-Bus Charging Station [Green Matters] The partnership will deliver cleaner, healthier transportation for students and support electric grid reliability with the nation’s first use of electric school buses.
Safety
Can You Make Drivers Pay Attention to Cyclists? [Curbed] Audi’s C-V2X system has the potential to protect cyclists and reduce the likelihood of a deadly crash through beacon technology, but is this merely a piecemeal solution for cyclist safety?
US Traffic Safety Is Getting Worse, While Other Countries Improve [Bloomberg CityLab] The rising rate of road deaths in the US continues to defy global trends - here’s what traffic planners in other nations could teach their American counterparts.
Uber drivers will make fewer left turns, be able to video record for safety
[ABC News] The company is launching a new pilot program in which certain drivers in three U.S. cities and in Brazil can use their phone's front-facing camera to record audio and video during trips.
Robotics & Autonomy
PANYNJ, Navya begin shuttle platooning demonstration project [Mass Transit] Navya is part of a larger initiative to platoon fleets of autonomous shuttles, with the goal of moving passengers safely and efficiently in an airport environment.
Tesla cars will not be approved as fully self driving this year, Musk says [Reuters] Tesla has repeatedly missed self-imposed targets for its vehicles to achieve full self-driving capability - a function Musk has said eventually would become "the most important source of profitability for Tesla."
Advanced Air Mobility
Umiles Next Begins Flight-Testing eVTOL Air Taxi’s Autonomous Systems [Flying] Umiles Next recently completed test flights of its air taxi prototype as part of an urban mobility project aimed at integrating operations of manned and unmanned vehicles into urban settings throughout Europe.
Archer Aviation Inc. announced their first airport to city center route between United’s hub at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and New York City. The Downtown Manhattan Heliport, located just above Battery Park on Pier 6, has been confirmed as the first planned takeoff and landing site as part of Archer’s broader plan to launch an Urban Air Mobility (UAM) network across the New York Metropolitan Area.
The FAA published airworthiness criteria for public comment for Joby’s Model JAS4-1 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Joby announced that it expects to start commercial passenger air taxi service as soon as 2025.
Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act signed into law [Transportation Today]
President Joe Biden on Oct. 17 signed the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act into law, establishing an interagency working group to more effectively engage the federal government with the goal of furthering the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector, particularly for passenger-carrying aircraft.
Intelligent Infrastructure
On the Ballot: Clean Air, Clean Water, Green Jobs [New York Times] $4.2 billion bond issue would help equip state infrastructure to face an era of climate change.
Philadelphia piloting smart loading zones with Sidewalk Labs tech [SmartCitiesDive] The city of Philadelphia is kicking off a smart loading zones pilot program that aims to improve curb safety, efficiency and reliability for delivery drivers; manage increased loading activity; and minimize unsafe and illegal parking.
COVID-19 Reshaped the Work and Mobility Landscape in U.S. Cities [GovTech] A new report by StreetLight Data underscores how traffic patterns across U.S. downtown areas have been reshaped by the pandemic.
Integrated Mobility
Evaluation Shows ‘MOVE Culver City’ Transit/Walk/Bike Pilot A Big Success [LA StreetsBlog] Culver City recently released a Mid-Pilot Evaluation Report showing data that confirms that the project successfully increased walking, bicycling, and transit ridership, at minimal delays to drivers.
Older Adults on the Move: Mobility Ecosystems that Support Aging in Place [TransLoc] Transportation is vital for aging in place since it increases opportunities for many older adults to reach medical appointments, shop for groceries, or attend social activities - here are four approaches to support older adult mobility.
Did California Just Kill Shared Micromobility? [StreetsBlogCal] The California Legislature’s recent passing of A.B. 371, the so-called “Kill Bike-share Bill,” is the most recent wound in the slow death of a thousand cuts of shared micro mobility.