Innovative technologies such as autonomous vehicles (AVs), electric vehicles (EVs), 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 Project Funding and 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) Autonomous Vehicle Transit
Advised JTA on its Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) program—converting and expanding the existing Skyway automated people mover system into a city-wide autonomous vehicle (AV) public transit network—including procurement of Phase 1, the Bay Street Innovation Corridor, using a progressive design-build-operate-maintain (DBOM) plus AV supply structure.
Dynamic Personal Microtransit Project
Represented the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) in procuring a fully autonomous dynamic transit project linking East County communities to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations in the East Bay, using a novel application of California’s Infrastructure Finance Act (IFA) to structure a pre-development agreement procurement with collaborative project development and environmental review between CCTA and its selected private partner.
San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) Autonomous Vehicle Tunnel
Representing SBCTA on a project to bore an autonomous vehicle (AV) tunnel connecting Ontario Airport to Rancho Cucamonga, where it will link to existing regional and future high-speed rail service.
O'Hare Express System Project
Advised the City of Chicago and the Chicago Infrastructure Trust on the O'Hare Express System Project (also known as the O’Hare Flyer)—a proposed 15-minute rapid transit connection between Downtown Chicago and O'Hare International Airport to be designed, built, financed, operated, and maintained (DBFOM) by The Boring Company using proprietary tunneling technology and modified autonomous vehicles, with no City funding required.
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