Innovative technologies such as autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, drones, ride sharing and smart cities initiatives increasingly take leading roles in shaping infrastructure opportunities and demands, as well as project delivery. An increasingly important part of Kaplan Kirsch’s Major Project, P3 and Alternative Delivery practice involves working with clients to structure and deliver projects that benefit from such technological innovations, while managing the inherent risk and uncertainty that can accompany them.
Representative Experience
Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA): Our lawyers advised the JTA in connection with its Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) program. The U2C program converts and expands an existing automated people mover system known as the Skyway into a city-wide autonomous vehicle public transportation network. As part of this, we advised JTA on procurement of Phase 1 of the U2C, the Bay Street Innovation Corridor, as a progressive design-build-operate-maintain plus autonomous vehicle supply structure.
Dynamic Personal Microtransit Project: We represented the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) on its procurement of a proposed fully autonomous dynamic transit project in the East Bay area, which will link East County communities to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations. The procurement utilized portions of California's Infrastructure Finance Act (IFA) in a novel manner, as well as other legal authorizations to enable a pre-development agreement structured procurement that contemplates undertaking project development and environmental reviews collaboratively between CCTA and the selected private partner.
San Bernardino County Transportation Authority: We represent the Authority on a project to bore a tunnel, for use by autonomous vehicles, from Ontario Airport to Rancho Cucamonga, where it would connect to current regional and future high-speed rail service.
O'Hare Express System Project: The team advised the City of Chicago and the Chicago Infrastructure Trust on the O'Hare Express System Project to bring rapid transportation service between Downtown Chicago and O'Hare International Airport. Under the selected approach, Elon Musk's The Boring Company would have deployed its proprietary boring technology to complete two tunnels through which modified autonomous vehicles would travel on 'skates.' The project scope contemplated that The Boring Company would design, construct, finance, operate and maintain the project with no City funding provided.
Related Practices
Resources and News
Presentations
Where We’re Going…Well there are Still Roads: A Look at the Enhanced Road Experience of the Future
Presentations | February 7, 2023