| NSF Org: |
CMMI Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | September 16, 2021 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | December 13, 2022 |
| Award Number: | 2133337 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Siqian Shen
CMMI Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation ENG Directorate for Engineering |
| Start Date: | October 1, 2021 |
| End Date: | September 30, 2023 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $1,000,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $1,000,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
3203 N DOWNER AVE # 273 MILWAUKEE WI US 53211-3153 (414)229-4853 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
P O BOX 340 Milwaukee WI US 53201-0340 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | S&CC: Smart & Connected Commun |
| Primary Program Source: |
01002122RB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.041 |
ABSTRACT
This NSF CIVIC grant will test whether new user-centered transportation service models can overcome institutional, multi-jurisdictional coordination barriers and solve persistent spatial mismatches that can deter marginalized population groups from accessing jobs. The case study area is the Milwaukee region, which lacks cross-jurisdictional transportation services that efficiently connect workers living in marginalized inner-city neighborhoods with available jobs in suburban counties. Focusing on two groups of core users?labor force participants and employers?this study will implement and evaluate two pilot service models designed to meet the needs of these respective user groups. Specifically, the research will examine whether the new service models driven by user needs can overcome institutional barriers and gain broad support to solve the regional spatial mismatch problem, investigate how the service models can narrow the gap between advancements in mobility technologies and technology adoption among marginalized communities, and compare how effectively the labor force-centered and employer-centered service models can achieve other economic, environmental, and social goals. The research activities will be carried out by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission in conjunction with workforce development organizations, business organizations, transit agencies, and local governments. This partnership will facilitate an exchange of research findings and civic dialogues, foster technology-community connections, and create new opportunities for technical and scientific discovery. Research activities will enrich student research experiences and community-based learning.
Both the labor force-centered and employer-centered service models will use on-demand microtransit to serve marginalized populations by connecting the low-income Milwaukee residents with employment centers in a neighboring suburban county. However, the two models will differ in terms of the service area and travel cost, reflecting core users? respective tradeoffs between their desired level of transportation services and their willingness to pay. The research will answer two questions: 1) How well does the user-centered approach overcome multi-jurisdictional coordination barriers and solve regional-level spatial mismatch? 2) To what degree do the labor force-centered and employer-centered mobility services achieve a diverse set of goals? A mixed-method analysis framework will be applied that includes interviews, surveys, data fusion, big data analysis, spatial statistics, and economic analysis to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the two service models. Measurable outcomes include service efficiency, financial feasibility, environmental sustainability, economic benefits, equity implications, and participant experience.
This project is part of the CIVIC Innovation Challenge which is a collaboration of NSF, Department of Energy Vehicle Technology Office, Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
FlexRide Milwaukee is a flexible, on-demand, microtransit service connecting labor force participants from predominantly low-income and underserved neighborhoods in the City of Milwaukee with suburban jobs. FlexRide Milwaukee was pilot tested from February through September 2022 with funding from a National Science Foundation (NSF) Civic Innovation Challenge Grant to a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) project team.
To establish the FlexRide Milwaukee service, UWM collaborated closely with its civic partner, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC), and other key workforce development stakeholders. After refining the initial service design, ridership grew consistently from April through September 2022. The NSF research grant provided a successful proof-of-concept for an on-demand, flexible microtransit service that connected workers from low-income parts of Milwaukee with suburban jobs. Building on the success of the NSF-funded FlexRide Milwaukee pilot test, MobiliSE, a key partner promoting multimodal transportation options in Southeastern Wisconsin, received a $4.2M grant from the State of Wisconsin and $1.3M grant from Milwaukee County to sustain and expand FlexRide service.
Our NSF-funded project demonstrated that flexible, on-demand microtransit was a feasible way to help low-income workers in Milwaukee’s central city neighborhoods reach suburban jobs. Outcomes from the April 18 to September 30, 2022 pilot phase included:
- Provided more than 3,600 rides to and from work: helped 128 unique riders get to jobs, and helped employees reach 63 unique businesses.
- Provided affordable transportation to work for people who needed it: 94% of riders did not own a car, and 50% made less than $1,500 per month.
- Helped people secure jobs: 20% of people who rode FlexRide did not have a job when they applied to use the service. 70% of all post-survey respondents said that FlexRide Milwaukee improved their job options.
- Increased the geographic area covered by public transportation options.
- Created a new transportation service in the Milwaukee region that can be used as a model for other communities.
- Showed that flexible, on-demand microtransit could be a viable transportation option in the Milwaukee region. Without the proof-of-concept demonstrated by the NSF pilot project, leaders may have been concerned about the risk of investing in the service.
- Demonstrated that leaders from suburban and urban jurisdictions could collaborate toward a common goal.
- Collected preliminary application data from 713 participants and service expectation and ridership data from 428 participants.
Key elements of FlexRide Milwaukee success:
1) Plan. FlexRide Milwaukee helped fill a need that had been identified and discussed for nearly a decade in Southeastern Wisconsin. The spatial mismatch between low-income workers and suburban jobs has been created over time. It limits the ability of businesses to hire enough workers and limits the job opportunities for workers without automobiles. The UWM and SEWRPC team built on previous research and discussions related to this topic.
2) Partner. Collaboration and commitment among partners were essential for establishing a broad base of support. For the NSF grant, our Civic Mobility Coalition served this need. Throughout the project, UWM’s civic partner, SEWRPC, took advantage of positive relationships that they have developed with local governments and organizations over decades to lead partner meetings and successfully manage expectations as FlexRide Milwaukee grew. Including MobiliSE as a key partner during the NSF grant phase facilitated a smooth transition of FlexRide Milwaukee from a research pilot to a regional microtransit service.
3) Refine. Flexibility was critically important for creating a usable microtransit service design. When the initial service design failed to attract a large number of riders, the UWM and SEWRPC team worked with the service provider to create a system that worked better for users. This led to increased ridership and a proof-of-concept that demonstrated microtransit could be successful in the Milwaukee region. As FlexRide Milwaukee expands, MobiliSE leaders are continuing to refine the service so that it serves people who work at night and on weekends, and who have childcare needs.
4) Communicate. Sharing information about FlexRide Milwaukee, including its launch, growth, and success stories, led to more media coverage and more potential riders learning about the service. The UWM and SEWRPC team utilized a professional marketing firm to help craft clear messages about the service, advertise the launch and symposium events, and connect with media contacts as a part of the NSF full award. Further, gathering data to demonstrate ridership growth, service efficiency, and positive employment impacts helped secure grant funding to sustain and expand the service.
The NSF grant led to an expanded service that continues to help meet the needs of both workers and employers in the Milwaukee metro region and can serve as a model for other communities throughout the United States. Research products from the NSF grant have provided new insights about the characteristics of more vs. less frequent microtransit riders and demonstrated the value of intentionally engaging low-income workers in the transportation planning process.
Last Modified: 12/27/2023
Modified by: Robert J Schneider
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