Cavnue, a subsidiary of Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP) with a focus on building the future of roads, has been selected by the state of Michigan to oversee the first phase of the corridor project. This public-private partnership aims to access the opportunity and viability of this project, working with state and local partners, stakeholders, and communities across the corridor from Detroit to Ann Arbor.

“Today, we are taking the initial steps toward enabling the world’s first corridor-level infrastructure that will support deployment of connected and autonomous vehicles in a fully autonomous mode. With that opportunity also comes a responsibility to advance our state’s technology and the automotive landscape in a way that also has the potential to improve the quality of life for countless individuals in Michigan,” said Governor Whitmer.

The announcement took place near Michigan Central Station in Corktown, a key anchor along potential routes for the corridor, which Ford Motor Company purchased in 2018. The Station will be the center point of a new mobility innovation district in Corktown. The goal of the mobility innovation district is to solve tomorrow’s transportation challenges and improve mobility access for everyone.

As the world stands at the precipice of the biggest shift in transportation in more than a century, this project solidifies Michigan’s leadership as the global hub for mobility innovation.

Learn more about the Connected Corridor project and the plethora of partners, including the MEDC, Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME), Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), Ford Motor Company, University of Michigan, American Center for Mobility (ACM), City of Detroit, and Wayne County, that have made this project possible by reading the press release here, or watching the event at michiganbusiness.org/live.

May Mobility Expands Operations in Ann Arbor, Brings 100 High-Paying, High Tech Jobs to Region

With support from the Michigan Strategic Fund, May Mobility, a global developer of autonomous shuttles, has announced plans to expand their presence in Ann Arbor – bringing 100 high-paying, high-tech jobs along with it.

“With the support of the MEDC, May Mobility is able to grow our team during a crucial time in the race to develop safe, reliable autonomous technologies as we work to improve access to mobility solutions in cities across the country,” said May Mobility Founder and CEO Edwin Olson. “We are excited to work with MEDC to help make Southeast Michigan not only a great place for the auto industry, but also a leader in autonomy.”

Building upon the Grand Rapids Autonomous Vehicle Initiative (AVGR), which placed autonomous vehicles on city streets, May Mobility’s expansion serves as yet another representation of Michigan’s leadership and ingenuity in the mobility and autonomous vehicles sector and will create momentum for the state to hold its place as the center of the automotive and mobility world. You can learn more about expansion in Ann Arbor and the benefits expected for the city and state’s mobility ecosystem here.

Mobility Spotlight: Yandex Selects Ann Arbor as Third City for Self Driving Vehicle Testing, Joining Moscow and Tel Aviv

Yandex has announced Ann Arbor as their third long-term testing city globally, joining Moscow and Tel Aviv. One of the deciding factors was Michigan’s very progressive and supportive regulatory environment for the development of self-driving cars, as well as Ann Arbor’s wealth of research and engineering facilities and wealth of bright young minds at the university town. Take a ride in the backseat of a Yandex self-driving through Ann Arbor in a video here.

Yandex has a mission to create technology that satisfies different transportation and logistical tasks globally in a multitude of road and weather conditions, and the new challenges and opportunities presented in Ann Arbor bring the company much closer to their goal. Learn more about the company’s new presence in Ann Arbor and learn about the differences in testing cities here.

Join Us Virtually at TU-Automotive Detroit

Mark your calendars and join us virtually on Wednesday, August 19 for a PlanetM sponsored panel discussion focused on creating a profitable and sustainable mobility business model. Trevor Pawl, the state of Michigan’s Chief Mobility Officer and head of the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, will moderate the discussion and explore topics such as Mobility-as-a-Service replacing vehicle ownership, how micromobility differs from shared mobility and much more!

For more information about TU-Automotive Detroit and registration, view the panel description here, which will include:

• Komal Doshi, Ann Arbor SPARK, Director of Mobility Programs
• Kai Daniels, GM Ventures, Investment Analyst
• Preston Carey, Yandex, SVP International Development

You’re Invited! Virtual PlanetM Mobility Meetup Thursday, August 27

Join the PlanetM Landing Zone for its next virtual mobility meetup Thursday, August 27 from 12-1 p.m. ET to hear from leaders in the industry and connect with peers.

Rueben Sarkar, President and CEO, American Center for Mobility (ACM), will join the group to discuss everything mobility-related since our last meetup and what may lay ahead for the industry. Sarkar brings to the discussion more than two decades of experience in transportation innovation in corporate, government, and entrepreneurial roles, including serving as chief product officer for Forge Nano, a corporate venture-backed start-up. If you’re interested, register here. More programming details can be found below.

Joining the Meetup
A confirmation email with the link to join the meeting will be sent upon registration. Following the opening remarks and presentation, the event will open up for facilitated networking. Virtual Mobility Meetup Connect is an ongoing connection platform through Connect Space. Separate but complementary from the virtual mobility meetup webinar, mobility meetup attendees can register in the platform at any time, and connect with others via the PlanetM app. Users can set up meetings within the app or take things offline. View instructions and register to start connecting here.

For more information, please contact Devon O’Reilly by phone at 313-402-0371, or reach out to the PlanetM team at PlanetM@michigan.org. Miss the last meetup? Tune in here for the conversation with our panel of the PlanetM COVID-19 Mobility Solutions Grant recipients.

Reminder: Accepting Applications for PlanetM Testing Grant

Accelerate your company’s mobility innovation by accessing Michigan advanced testing facilities including:

• Mcity at the University of Michigan
• ACM
• GM Mobility Research Center at Kettering University
• Michigan Unmanned Aerial Systems Consortium
• Keweenaw Research Center at Michigan Technological University

Testing grant applications are evaluated on a rolling basis. To learn more or to apply, visit https://www.planetm.com/test-and-pilot/.

Mobility Resources

HEAR AND READ THE LATEST FROM TREVOR PAWL, MICHIGAN’S CHIEF MOBILITY OFFICER

• SHIFT: A podcast about mobility: Michigan’s chief mobility officer on the state mobility (episode 52)
• Why Michigan Created a Mobility Officer and Why it Matters

READ THE LATEST FROM ASSEMBLY VENTURES
Towards Mobility 4.0 – A New Definition for an Established Sector

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