CoMotion – a think-tank for mobility innovation – is partnering with Miami-Dade County to launch a consortium called CoMotion LAB MIAMI (C-LAB MIAMI). The primary goal of the lab is to improve mobility and transit in Miami-Dade County and southern Florida, as well as spurring economic growth and job creation.
“We’re the ideal location to develop everything from smart signal technology and ride-sharing apps, to solar-powered water taxis, vertical take-off [vehicles] and landing systems that operate like flying cars,” said Miami-Dade mayor, Carlos A. Giménez. “CoMotion LAB MIAMI is designed to make our county a vibrant living lab of new mobility in order to create new services for our residents and thus jobs and economic activity.”
Officials noted that Miami-Dade County – containing 5,500 miles (~8850 km.) of public roads, along with airspace and maritime channels – provides a complex and variegated testing geography, making it an ideal test-bed for a range of transportation technologies. It faces challenges such as traffic congestion, transit limitations, and sea-level rise.
Initial areas of focus include Urban Air Mobility for EMS, Smart curb management + smart infrastructure, decarbonizing maritime mobility in maritime and riverine cities, and forming new frameworks for public/private partnerships in transit. Some of the private-sector partners in the consortium include: Uber, HNTB, Lacuna, Joby Aviation, Via, INRIX, and The NewCities Foundation.
“It’s a marvelous project, and we’re so excited to roll up our sleeves with our other partners on this,” said John Rossant, founder and CEO of CoMotion.
The C-LAB will be overseen by the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works.