Principal Investigator(s)
Gina Baas, Deputy Director, Center for Transportation Studies
Co-Investigators
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Frank Douma, Director, State & Local Policy, Humphrey School of Public Affairs
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Thomas Fisher, Professor/Director, Metropolitan Design Center
Project Summary
A multidisciplinary team deployed an automated, on-demand, shared shuttle pilot in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, known as the Grand Iron Range CAV Initiative. The service focused on serving people with little or no access to transportation services, including people of lower income who may not be able to afford a personal vehicle; people with disabilities; and people with mobility challenges.
This project provided data and research support to the Initiative in an effort to document lessons learned on aspects of the pilot, including the history of Grand Rapids' AV-related institutional and community engagement efforts and the development of a digital prototype to show how mobility hubs can be integrated into an AV project. The project also provided recommendations that can inform the deployment of future CAV shuttle services in Minnesota.