Shift Magazine - October 7, 2019 - 23

SPONSORED CONTENT

The Dating Game:
How Governments and Companies Flirt
With Each Other...and the Future of Mobility

When it comes to transportation, the
public and private sectors depend on
each other like few other things in this
world. Everyday, we take advantage of
these partnerships that enhance personal
mobility as they're so ingrained in our daily
routines. The truth is, the level of freedom
most of us have to move around cities
couldn't exist without optimal levels of
cooperation between governments and
private companies.
The future of transportation will involve far
more methods than we are familiar with
today. Ride-sharing, e-scooters, e-bikes,
autonomous shuttles, hourly car rentals,
subway trains, city buses, ferries and
personal vehicles are only a few of the
ways we move in 2019 - and when you
consider including future methods into the
mix - the only logical conclusion is that
next 100 years will require a radical rethink
on how to untangle our dated, publiclyowned 20th century infrastructure.
Progress will be dependent on
cooperation. As populations rise in urban
centers, public-private partnerships
between technology companies, residents
and governments will play a critical role
in finding, funding and implementing
relevant mobility solutions.
There are countless public and private
sector challenges to implementing and
scaling urban transit systems. Rising
costs run up against road funding
constraints. Increases in ridership present
challenges for aging infrastructure as
traffic bottlenecks. Highways weren't built
to handle modern volumes. City revenue
channels dry up as better ride-sharing
options reduce the amount of money
collected from parking fines, toll roads and
parking spots. Everything about modern
travel is inextricably linked to something
else.

It's in everyone's interest to find ways to
support cities in their efforts to leverage
new mobility services that make urban
transit more accessible, affordable, and
efficient.
Project Kinetic is one example of
how private companies from multiple
industries combined forces to provide
both the funds and intellectual leadership
to help the city of Detroit tackle some
of its most pressing mobility challenges.
Formed in 2018, "Kinetic" brought
together mobility-focused teams across
the public, private and philanthropic
sectors to identify tech-based solutions
to tackle challenges around downtown
accessibility, traffic safety, electric vehicle
infrastructure and parking through scalable
business models. These business models
are being piloted today.
Ford Motor Company's City:One
Challenge calls on various communities
across the world to explore their own
transportation needs and collaborate on
new solutions with Ford R&D teams.
At the end of the challenge, there is a
vote on the most innovative solution,
which is then piloted through public
funding, creating a flexible, accessible and
empowering future.
May Mobility, an Ann Arbor-based startup
that builds and deploys self-driving
shuttles, has a history of working with
private and public entities to prove the
viability of AV travel in cities.
Alongside a ten-member, first-of-itskind public-private coalition, including
the city of Grand Rapids, the state of
Michigan and a dedicated group of private
companies, May Mobility is expanding its
operations to create a year-long, real-world
AV transportation project for public use
throughout downtown Grand Rapids -
the Grand Rapids Autonomous Vehicle
Initiative (AVGR).

The fleet will complement the city's
existing DASH transportation fleet, and,
for many, will be their first experience
riding in an autonomous vehicle. AVGR
demonstrates the power of bringing
together a diverse stakeholder group
passionate about providing accessible and
dynamic transportation options.
Whenever a public-private partnership
is brought to life, it restores a little faith
in government and faith in the private
sector's ability to use innovation for
something beyond profits. This faith then
manifests itself through more thoughtful
political discourse on how technology can
improve the lives of a city's residents.
Who knows, the sharing of one success
story in a community can potentially
create the business case to breakdown
the doubts another community may have
about trying something new.
All this to say that, at this point in the
dating game, it's equally as important
for these partnerships to happen, as it
is for these partnerships to be properly
celebrated and communicated when they
work. The last thing the future of mobility
needs right now is to be taken for granted
and lost within a person's daily routine.
So, keep partnering. And, PlanetM will be
here to support you every step of the way.
To learn more, visit planetm.com

Author: Trevor Pawl, SVP, Business Innovation at
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
http://www.planetm.com
Shift Magazine - October 7, 2019

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