Transportation Of The Future

Miami was all about tech last week. It started with the e-Merge event, then Israel Tech week kicked off and CoMotion. I was able to attend CoMotion on Tuesday and Wednesday which was hosted at Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade College. Our Transportation Director Dr. Shen actually made a presentation of our Cloud Bus system. I was excited to research and connect with the many new alternative modes of transportation, EVTols, Wing and Waymo to name a few.

With the adoption of enabling legislation on the national and most importantly state levels, Florida is poised to unleash this transformational wave of technology. Waymo is already on the road in Miami and Zook the new competitor can also be seen traveling on the roadways. Some readers may be unaware that currently the new Tesla’s already have the capability to drive without a driver. A driver can sit back and watch the car drive itself.

I approached the representative of Waymo to inquire about a partnership. The new laws have made it much easier to enter into pilot programs. Aventura now has an agreement with Waymo through an FDOT Grant. Waymo shared that they have a goal to build out through the U.S. 1 Corridor. These driverless cars can address what transportation industry calls the last half mile. The micro transit can connect riders to fixed routes and mass transit.

EvTols Electric vertical take off and landing aircrafts are currently being tested throughout the country. These manned drones are now being tested in NYC. Joby and Archer are the two companies that have been successful to date, bringing them to the market as a new wave helicopter. They are battery powered so they are much quieter than traditional with a target of 20 decimals. This level can be compared to the rustle of leave.

I have been following this issue very closely as we look to redevelop our city hall into a complete civic center with a combination of multiple uses. Looking toward the future our City should be planning for this new mode of transit. Companies now are scouting locations for leases and storage. In our plan we know we need a parking garage. Sharing the garage with a lease could generate revenue.

The next new wave of transportation is drone delivery. Wings, a company out of Texas has successfully partnered with Door Dash and Walmart. The system allows for delivery of items in a fraction of the time as you do not need to wait for a driver. The drone has a built-in hook system. The package is connected; the drone lifts off and is sent promptly to the delivery location. The drone does not land it actually drops the package down and the weight dislodges the package.

I approached them at the conference to inquire about our Walmart. As fate would have it, they are looking to our Walmart to add Wing. I requested an agenda item to have discussions about the program and what steps we need to take by the City to implement Wings.

While these are exciting times, changes of this nature can be daunting. The whole shift to the use of AI and these newer technologies is here and it is moving pretty fast. The FAA on the state and national levels are the main players when it comes to regulations. On the city side we need to ensure we are planning to integrate them properly.

As always, I am available anytime for your questions, concerns, and ideas to make our City a better place on my Phone/Text at: (954) 632-5700. Or you can email me at: jcooper@cohb.org. Please visit me on my Facebook page at Mayor Joy Cooper. Like! Follow! And share!