Andrew Kimball’s Post

"Wilson launched RIDE, an on-demand microtransit service, in 2020 as a pilot during the pandemic. A relatively small community of about 48,000 residents, Wilson previously ran a fixed-route bus system that served about 40% of the city’s area and averaged about 1,450 rides a week before the pandemic. Via, a leading private provider of mobility services, operates RIDE. Its premise is simple: passengers can request van rides in real-time to and from anywhere within the boundaries of Wilson at a similar cost to riding a bus (Shared-Use Mobility Center 2023). Customers can book rides using a smartphone app, an online portal, or a central dispatching phone. Ridership has steadily increased since RIDE was initiated in September 2020, reaching a high of 4,700 (more than triple the ridership on the fixed-route bus system it replaced) in April 2023."

its not the years, its the miles. I had a call on Friday with a #vc investor I’ve known for years but have never been quite in sync with. Good guy. Still not quite in sync, though. He’s not interested in #electrification but rather railway services companies. Still, that took me back. Back all the way through carrier attachments for AT&T, Comcast and T-Mobile fka Omnipoint Corporation, and services companies Quanta Services, Inc. InfraSource, A Quanta Services Company to the nexus of my first career in #resourcerecovery for companies like Republic Services, Waste Management Inc. fka Harvey & Harvey, Raytheon, Delaware Solid Waste Authority, Inc. and my current career developing third-party real estate for distributed infrastructure. What started out as transfer station development became #intermodal. Back then brownfield locations like this decommissioned Nestlé Purina North America grain silo (too expensive to demo, too intriguing to give up on) along the mainline from BaWa to NYC and directly across from Amtrak service yard, only a single exit ramp from both I495 and I95, looked like a perfect contender to CSX location in Chester PA. Looking back, a new worldview wa born there. While the post-burn muni scrap business founded with stephen vasaturo would end up being a roman candle, and the Purina location yoelded more services revenues as a “scenic” carrier attachment site for my companies since, it is clear that it was a turning point. We worked extensively with rail consultants and contractors to develop the budgets for a major intermodal location that would never be. Along the way, i was introduced to sexier brownfield redevelopment entrants like Kevin F. and Mark Edelson of Iron Hill Brewery fame. But that is a story for snother time, and this was the moment I remembered during this call on Friday. If you know anyone with a rail services co that is interested in a generational transaction, reach out & i will connect you to this #vc. Otherwise, thanks for your indulgence in my telling of a story that puts so many otherwise random wapoints into a roadmap.

🌟Breaking news from SC Ports. Amid discussions, SC Ports clarifies: They're enhancing the Columbus Street Terminal, NOT selling. This move isn't just about maintaining the status quo; it's about forward-thinking and resilience. Imagine a terminal ready for climate challenges, pivotal in supporting the auto industry and driving economic growth. 📣 For a deep dive, see Barbara Melvin and Bill Stern's article in the Post and Courier. The full article is in the comments. What are your thoughts on the impact of these initiatives on SC's economy and environment? #SCPorts #Innovation #Sustainability #AutomotiveIndustry #Charleston #EconomicDevelopment

Was back on The Hill again today for Railtowns.org - sitting in on the Committee for Science, Space & Technology hearing titled “Environmentalism Off the Rails: How CARB will Cripple the National Rail Network.” As the name might suggest, most witnesses and Members present weren’t particularly fond of California’s new environmentally driven rule-set to (among other things) replace diesel locomotives with electric, and place restrictions on locomotive idling. Based on my post-hearing discussions, it’s clear that there’s a rough road ahead for CARB, even if it received the EPA waiver it’s seeking. A legal challenge is certain, as soon as someone has standing, and SCOTUS has already indicated that states cannot regulate interstate commerce. It may come as a surprise, but it’s not clear to me that all aspects of the rule are right for our railtown members. If these rules make rail-service to small towns unviable due to cost, then these towns will increase the load on our public roads any time they need to ship or receive goods. Thats traffic, wear and tear, pollution… The idling limitations and record keeping requirements weren’t addressed at all in the hearing, so I’m hoping this means the industry and gov agree they’re viable. I’ll be meeting with American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association in the coming weeks to get a better understanding, and will update ASAP.

CONNECTING IN WATERFORD: A new county-state funding agreement will provide MetroConnect on-demand transit in the Waterford area through June 30, 2025. The county and the state will pay $345,600 apiece to River North Transit LLC to run the service, which is to have two to three minivans during peak hours and two in off-peak times driving flexible routes with rides provided within 15 minutes of the call and operating primarily as a feeder to other modes of transportation. MetroConnect now has 11 such service zones producing more than 1,000 total rides per weekday. The on-demand transit is to serve a 5-square-mile area, and while other service is possible, links to transit are prioritized, with the aim of linking to the Miami Intermodal Center and the Flagler Corridor. MetroConnect launched in the county in October 2020. https://lnkd.in/dSHD_Stk #FYIMiami #MiamiTodayNews

The significance of technology in the trucking and logistics sector is highlighted even more following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The efficiency and safety of operations heavily rely on this technology. Baltimore bridge collapse puts low-clearance tech in focus https://buff.ly/497pjH2?

There are a lot of great takeaways from this article featuring insights from Adam Johnson, Executive Director of Transportation at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina. Clear communication between partners and informed decision-making are essential to any successful electrification project. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eRvmm7D6 #TransportationManagement #ElectricFleets

Today, the Chicago Hub Improvement Program (CHIP), was publicly announced at South Loop's South Gate Market. I was honored to attend today and felt a little nostalgic since I used to live not far from there. 🚄🏙️ This initiative brings together a powerful coalition, including esteemed leaders from various levels of government: IDOT Secretary Omer Osman, Gov. JB Pritzker, Senator Richard Durbin and Senator Tammy Duckworth, Representative Mike Quigley, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and transportation and business officials from Amtrak, Metra Commuter Rail, Rheaply, P33 Chicago, and World Business Chicago. The traffic on the express ways has been a topic of conversation for months now. By establishing a direct route from O'Hare to the city, that traffic congestion can be resolved along with the bottlenecking that happens on tracks and in the station, because of more efficient and sustainable transportation options. This upgrade is also vital to Chicago's local economy to bolster shipping, logistics, and to generate well-paying job opportunities for residents. 🌟✈️ All that's left is to get the US Congress to fully fund the Federal Railroad Administration in the 2024 federal budget, allowing transformative programs like CHIP to thrive and build a more prosperous region with increased freedom to travel for all. 

Another important piece that adds to the full picture. ♻ There is so much we have all learned collectively through the different reports, trials and discussions, but we need to change to implementation mode and establish the commercially viable end-to-end supply chain solution that is scalable and is using the River Thames instead of our congested roads.

It was just a conversation 4 years ago Kate Fenton. It was just an idea 2 years ago Toby Hiles. After i spent time working with logistics companies who were looking to innovate their delivery methods for more sustainable last mile options, river freight became a potential way for them reduce their impact on air pollution in London. Having spent a couple of years trying to work out what was missing to scale up this sustainable solution, infrastructure kept coming up as an issue. So the Kerb Dock project was launched to highlight what is needed at the area of cross-docking from river to road and which stakeholders would be responsible for supporting a increase of larger scale river freight for the future. This project has showcased quite a few things: 1. Air quality and noise monitoring is important to correlate with freight movements in areas of high footfall. 2. Learning the experiences from stakeholders (learning more about boat operations and what is necessary for scale, and what is the councils responsibility for space near the river) 3. Stakeholders speaking to each other in open forum about what the potential future of river freight is. 4. How technology can help manage and give real time data on how space would be used for logistics (through the use of the Kerb platform) Luckily there is a executive summary and action plan that goes through all of this in detail with some key ideas for the future. None of this would be possible without some dedicated project partners Ben Pearce Patrick Lee Freddie Talberg Damian Willingale Stewart Kelly Ali Memory Ellie Gooch Leigh Gravenor Richard Wells Mark Palmer Paul Newman Sadie Hodgson A few special thank you's to those who taught me more about operations on the river and all the hard work they already do showcasing the work that can be done Fiona Coull Gyula Törzsök Toni Da Silva John Spencer for GPS marine, Thames Clippers- Michael Threlfall, Aaron Powell MICFM, MAFP - Speedy Services and DHL. #localauthorities #stakeholders #kerbside #rivertoroad #KerbDock #Crossdocking #sustainableinfrastructure