(Autumn 2019 – Ongoing) This NSF-funded research is currently being conducted through the University of Michigan’s Urban Collaboratory lab. For more information on the lab and the full scope of its work, please visit https://www.urbanlab.umich.edu/. Research advisor: Dr. Robert Goodspeed.
Benton Harbor, MI is a city of about 10,000 residents located in southwest Michigan along the Lake Michigan coast. Previously home to a burgeoning manufacturing sector in the 20th century, Benton Harbor has since faced steep decline and job loss endemic to U.S. rustbelt cities. This decline has left behind a largely marginalized community which faces serious mobility issues, as many residents either can’t afford a car or are physically unable to drive.
The Twin Cities Area Transportation Authority (TCATA) runs both a fixed-route and on-demand bus service for the Benton Harbor area to help accommodate residents’ transit needs; however, the current system is generally regarded as both overburdened and inefficient by community locals. The University of Michigan has partnered with TCATA to help alleviate the issue, and the Urban Collaboratory is now generating data-driven optimization techniques in an effort to increase the system’s efficiency. The lab is also engaged in early-stage participatory planning with a wide range of local stakeholders, including transit agencies, city officials, members of the school board, and more to generate creative and “smart” mobility solutions for the resource-strained community. To learn more, please visit https://www.urbanlab.umich.edu/project/increasing-mobility-in-benton-harbor/.
aaron krusniak 