TransLink to partner with academia for New Mobility Lab research grant program
TransLink has launched a program that will give grants to academics looking to conduct research projects related to new mobility.
“It’s about trying to establish a better, more formal and ongoing working relationship with our partners in academia, at the universities especially across British Columbia,” said Andrew McCurran, TransLink’s director of policy and planning.
“Our feeling is that academics are really well positioned to explore some of the big challenges that we’re facing.”
TransLink often needs to conduct research to develop new programs, expand existing ones or change direction. McCurran said TransLink staff often don’t have the capacity or expertise to do the kind of high-quality research and evaluation that’s necessary, and it can be expensive to pay consultants to do similar work.
That’s why the New Mobility Lab, with its research grant program, was conceived.
Research topics for the current round of grants include understanding user behaviours where personalization and on-demand services are increasing user choice; leveraging travel and travel-related data; communicating and mapping the effects of incentives to help influence user mobility choice and evaluating the effects of electrification on networks.
The program provides grants up to $50,000 for each project, to a maximum of six projects per year. The money was allocated in the 10-year regional transportation plan, which calls for advancing new mobility initiatives in the region.
The projects can range from one to two years in duration and include a range of disciplines, from engineering to sociology. Grants will be available year round.
“We want to be able to be responsive, and be able to partner when there are good opportunities that arise,” McCurran said.
Eve Hou, project manager for new mobility, said part of the program is aimed at engaging students. For the first time, TransLink will hire up to four University of B.C. sustainability scholars as part of a pilot project this fall to conduct research related to new mobility and transportation planning.
The results of the pilot project will be shared next year.
“This is just one other piece, and we’ll be looking to expand this type of engagement beyond UBC and looking at other programs that are available with some of the other post-secondary institutions,” Hou said.
The new mobility lab is along the same line as the open innovation call process that TransLink launched this year, with the goal of collecting ideas to improve mobility. Twice a year the transit authority will come up with a theme — the first was enabling seamless, integrated door-to-door mobility for people — and open it up to anyone, including individuals, companies, non-profits, from B.C. and beyond, for submissions.
“The open innovation call is more of an effort to engage with the private sector, industry, entrepreneurs, and through a process that is more nimble, and open, and flexible than a conventional government procurement process,” said McCurran. The first call opened in June and closed in July.
TransLink is in the process of reviewing the 90 submissions and deciding on next steps.
McCurran said the submissions, both in number and quality, exceeded TransLink’s expectations. “They’re all excellent,” he said. “We’re quite pleased with the results of the call.”
TransLink is also planning to make it easier for its employees — all 7,000 of them — to contribute ideas. In addition to an innovation week that will be held this fall, the transit authority is working on an online tool that McCurran described as a kind of “solutions matchmaker.” Users can collaborate, comment, offer challenges and solve problems.
“There’s a lot of great ideas and knowledge and expertise here within TransLink, and we want to leverage that as well,” said McCurran.
McCurran said the overall goal is to build an “innovation infrastructure” at the transit authority so that it can stay relevant and competitive.
“There’s a lot of dramatic change happening in the transport landscape,” he said.