Urban Circulators utilizing Low Speed Electric Vehicles

Creating Urban Circulators utilizing Low Speed Electric Vehicles
Above: Portland Skyline, Below: Powell-Division corridor
Team Members
Point of Contact	Kris Bailey
Participating Municipalities	St. Louis, MO, Kirkwood, MO
Status	Launched
Website	https://ecabna.com/
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Description

This project focuses on developing a sensor-connected “smart” corridor in Portland where transit data, traffic signalization, and air quality sensing are made available in a data portal with data visualization and analytics to improve transportation options, public health, economic development and civic engagement.

Challenges

Challenges for public transportation include getting people to the transit stop or Park and Ride. By providing the circulator, customers would use their vehicles less, spend less money on gas, and help to curb CO2 emissions that are detrimental to the environment.

Major Requirements

1. Step 1: Outlining the model
2. Step 2: Bringing together stakeholders
3. Step 3: Identifying facilities to store vehicles during “off hours”.
4. Step 4: Identifying staff, training and providing support.
5. Step 5: Implementation.

Performance Targets

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)	Measurement Methods
Traffic Reduction - Measure and compare to previous stats Increase public transportation use - Same as above Reduce first mile time-to-transit - Same as above	Provider will gather data statistics on ridership and time. Public Transportation system staff will provide public transport use for comparison.

Standards/Interoperability

1. Project entails several partners working together to deploy.
2. Project would provide a standard for first/last mile solutions that can be implemented in a fairly quick and seamless connection with public transportation.

Replicability, Scalability, and Sustainability

The project targets small areas within neighborhoods that can be replicated easily and scaled, as demand grows. Partnerships with vehicle manufacturers remove obstacles to scale and sustain the project.

Cybersecurity and Privacy

The dispatch software used for the demand-responsive, dynamic routes is secured with a 128bit SSL security. The software maintains security through use of passwords for both the user and driver interfaces and information is kept secure by the administrator. Only two company administrators have access to all customer and driver information, keeping their own logon information secure.

Impacts

1. Project provides jobs for drivers and maintenance techs.
2. Environment is impacted with use of fully electric, emission-free, vehicles.
3. Provides rides to ADA customers unable to walk distances impacted by service.

Demonstration/Deployment

Phase I Pilot/Demonstration June 2016

Phase II Deployment June 2017

The project has been piloted in a business complex (Domain NORTHSIDE) in Austin, Texas (Electric Cab HQ), from 12/2016 through present. The model is being replicated in St. Louis, MO as the MX Circulator, providing the stadium crowds access to shopping and dining in the adjacent MX shops without having to use their cars.

Project is in planning stages for deployment in the CORTEX complex in St. Louis, MO, as well as SLU-Law School. Update Kirkwood, MO jumped on board October 2017 to connect the train station to the rest of Downtown Kirkwood and alleviate parking. The project ran from October 2017 to December 2017, very successfully, and is now being brought to full service by the city council. Full deployment is estimated to begin April 2018. Two circulators connecting the Capital Metro MetroRail Kramer Lane station to the Domain Northside shopping complex and large businesses within and nearby (Homeaway, IBM, Charles Schwab), and the Downtown station tackling the last mile destination for commuters in the Central Business District.