Groundhog Predictions on Mobility and Urban Innovation

Earlier today, Punxatawny Phil made his annual forecast, likely bringing delight to a large number of people yearning for an early Spring. While we can’t confirm this, we’ve heard that Phil has interests beyond predicting weather patterns, particularly prognosticating urban transformation and forward-thinking mobility solutions. If true, he probably enjoyed the Transportation Research Board (TRB)’s annual meeting held last month. A significant contingent of the Cityfi team kicked off the year by participating in the annual pilgrimage to Washington DC to learn from and educate our peers in the world of transportation and mobility. Additionally, we were thrilled to be able to co-facilitate a workshop about the future of pricing for new mobility and goods delivery services and to host an event convening some of the biggest leaders in the transportation and mobility industry, highlighting our work with the DC Mobility and Innovation District. We relish shining spotlights on the amazing work our clients are involved in, engaging in stimulating conversations with thought leaders from around the world, and leading the way in advancing work in our practice areas.

2024 has already been a whirlwind for the Cityfi team, with TRB marking just one chapter in our story of dynamic and rewarding client collaborations. For instance, further down in the newsletter we are excited to share our ongoing partnership with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, where we are helping them align their grant application process with the Justice40 initiative.

Not Brunch, Rather a MID Morning Breakfast

By Kyle Ragan

Cityfi, in collaboration with the Southwest and Capitol Riverfront BIDs, was thrilled to kick off the New Year with a breakfast event on the Monday of TRB week. We had the honor of hosting over 30 leaders from the transportation and mobility industry, sparking engaging discussions about the DC Mobility and Innovation District’s (MID) vision and exploring potential collaborations to drive progress.

At the core of the MID is its pivotal role in fostering purpose-driven innovation, bridging the gap between community needs and innovators who can provide practical solutions. The MID also actively collaborates with the government, facilitating testing and measurement, and applies lessons learned to identify real-world applications.

Since its official launch in October 2022, the MID has celebrated significant milestones, including the introduction of a demand-responsive shuttle service and the establishment of an e-bike library. Looking forward to 2024, the MID has ambitious plans, such as expanding to incorporate the Capitol Riverfront Neighborhood and initiating several exciting projects.

A heartfelt thank you to all who attended the event. For those interested in collaborating on the work in the MID, we invite you to reach out.

A Meeting of the Minds: Mobility Pricing and Revenue

By Evan Costagliola

In partnership with ECONorthwest and the Urban Freight Lab, Cityfi had the pleasure of co-facilitating a workshop focused on policy frameworks and justification for pricing and revenue tools for new mobility and goods delivery services. Connected with the TRB Annual Meeting, the workshop was designed to gather ideas and perspectives from some of North America’s most savvy minds - representing cities, regulatory authorities, technology companies and mobility service providers, and think-tanks/non-governmental organizations.

The workshop was packed to the brim with mobility and urban freight policy heavyweights, challenging when, how, why (or why not) pricing should be used to influence user and operator behaviors and achieve broader mobility outcomes. While perspectives diverged at times, most participants agreed that the funding environment and infrastructure for transit, shared mobility, and other public mobility options are not on a level playing field in our largely autocentric cities. Participants challenged the project team to not only build an outcomes-centered framework to determine when new mobility should be priced, but also invest in new mobility and delivery services that align with cities’ vision for a people-centered, equitable, and clean mobility ecosystem.

There is so much more to dig into! The ideas and direction from this workshop will feed into research and practitioner decision-making guides coming out of NCHRP 19-23: Revenue Tools for New Mobility Options. We will continue the conversation in Miami, where we will reconvene with the new mobility and good delivery community at NACTO Designing Cities in May. Want to be a part of the conversation? Let’s talk!

A Justice40 Strategy for the Columbus Region

By Sahar Shirazi and Nicole Davessar

The Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) has been actively driving equity-focused work with regional partners. This work includes engaging with disadvantaged communities in identifying and making decisions on investments, assessing burdens, and prioritizing benefits for the most impacted communities. Building on collaborations with regional partners, MORPC asked the Cityfi team for support in aligning the region’s grant application process with Justice40, a whole-of-government initiative to invest at least 40% of federal funds from multiple Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) programs in disadvantaged communities.

Last week, the Cityfi team, in collaboration with MORPC, the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), the Columbus Partnership, and other regional partners, presented a training session for over forty local leaders, decision-makers, and agency representatives. Over half a day, we discussed the history of and need for the Justice40 initiative, the various requirements and guidelines released by each federal agency, the tools and data available for supporting applications, and the intended outcomes of focusing on communities that have traditionally been underserved and overburdened. Our goal was multifaceted: to build understanding and excitement around the opportunities of Justice40, to share a framework and methods for incorporating and involving disadvantaged communities in grant applications, and to offer a toolkit and continued support to those doing project and planning work in and with communities.

We created the toolkit and training by examining the existing processes and decision-making that the Columbus region utilizes for federal grant applications and then breaking the pursuit process into three distinct phases; planning, prioritizing, and applying. Within each of those, we created a framework aligned with Justice40 that proposes a set of questions to consider for greater incorporation of disadvantaged communities and a set of actions to take to enhance projects and plans. Finally, we incorporated existing tools and data resources as well as methods for enhancing and updating them with local data and narratives.

With a wealth of information and guidance around Justice40, arming the Central Ohio region with this framework and toolkit meant not only imparting our audience with the relevant strategies and knowledge but also creating space for them to practice applying their learnings collaboratively with other regional partners. In groups, participants were asked to work through a real-life, local case study by applying a Justice40 lens. Walking from group to group to offer help and clarification, we were joyfully overwhelmed by the conversations and analysis happening in each breakout session. Participants took the training to heart as it aligned with values they already hoped to progress for the region. Despite the uncertainty of the political future, and its potential impact on Justice40, we were all able to understand and agree that using such frameworks to include and invest in communities traditionally left out would continue to benefit all, regardless of mandates or initiatives. The data and information collected from these projects will continue to make the case for more involvement and investment in these communities, and we are excited to support these efforts across the country.

On a personal note, while Nicole is a local, this was Sahar’s first time in Columbus, and she was welcomed in style. The weather was mild, even for a Californian, and our lovely client and partners at MORPC treated us to a whirlwind tour of great restaurants, cultural sites, and local businesses–including the famous Book Loft, where Sahar found some great kids’ books for her goddaughters…unless she keeps them for herself.

What We’re Reading

Curated by Monique Ho and Ryan Parzick

Cleantech and Zero-Emission Transition

Public Affairs and Regulatory Design

Civic Innovation and Change Management

Resiliency and Climate Adaptation Strategies[1]

Mobility Systems and Reimagined Streets

Digital Transformation and Connectivity

Time Machine

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