But with this success comes real challenges. Our transportation system is challenged. As one of the fastest growing regions in the world, our aging infrastructure and systems are not keeping pace with demand and our tools to manage traffic are becoming out of date. These challenges call for a new partnership to solve a problem that impacts us all.
The University of Washington and Challenge Seattle — a private sector initiative of 17 of the Seattle region’s CEOs to address issues that will determine the region’s future — are committed to advancing our region’s economy and our quality of life by helping to build the transportation system of the future.
Advancing our region’s goal to be a global leader in building a smart city transportation system, the University of Washington and Challenge Seattle have partnered to create a new Mobility Innovation Center.
This multi-disciplinary Center will bring together the region’s leading expertise from the business, government, and academic sectors to use technology and innovation to find transportation solutions.
Housed at CoMotion at the University of Washington, the Mobility Innovation Center will tackle specific transportation challenges, using applied research and experimentation.
Cross-sector teams will attack regional mobility problems, develop new technologies, apply system-level thinking, and bring new innovations to our regional transportation system.
To ensure a robust economy and quality of life for the region, Seattle needs an integrated transportation system that is reliable, safe, environmentally sustainable, forward looking, equitable and accessible.
To accomplish the vision, everyone must be part of the solution. The Mobility Innovation Center will bring together the knowledge, talents, and expertise of the University of Washington and private and public sector partners to solve real-world challenges facing our transportation system.
The Mobility Innovation Center will focus on:
The goal of the center is to examine the readiness of our city’s infrastructure, people, technologies and public policies to incorporate new mobility technologies and modalities.
We don’t do research for research’s sake.
We search the globe for the most interesting, cutting-edge solutions and craft the approach and solution that will work for the greater Seattle region.
The Center is funded through discreet project-specific grants and broader grants that support the overall mission of the Center and its work.
Our primary metric of success is impact. We will measure success through the number of timely deliverables created and the number of solutions implemented to improve mobility throughout the region.
The UW Urban Freight Lab released the results of a pilot study supporting easier and less disruptive passenger pick-ups and drop-offs for ride-hail app vehicles like Uber and Lyft. The study tested the traffic impacts of providing more passenger load zones (PLZs) paired with in-app geofencing technology that guided drivers and riders to designated load/unload locations. The results indicate that creating a designated space for passenger loading can discourage double-parking and reduce traffic conflicts.
Read more | Download ReportWhat if local schools doubled as transportation hubs, enabling more people to ride public transit and shorten their commute? What if we could alleviate Seattle traffic by turning riding the bus into a game? Last October, UW students dreamed up novel solutions like these to tackle Seattle’s growing traffic problems at Challenge Seattle’s Imagine Mobility Ideathon.
Read more | Download ReportSmart cities across the US are exploring new ways to use technology and innovation to combat traffic congestion and create thriving communities. In a partnership with the Mobility Innovation Center at CoMotion, the Seattle Department of Transportation commissioned a study of six US cities that have been experimenting with the levers of transportation management.
Read more | Download ReportGreat ideas can come from anywhere and the Mobility Innovation Center is open to project requests from anyone. Projects must serve the transportation system of the Greater Seattle region and have a partner who is willing and able to implement or pilot project outcomes.
Examples of future projects may examine how to influence social behavior related to transportation and the sharing economy; policy recommendations for the adoption and integration of new mobility technologies; the development of apps to provide users real-time travel and mode options; intelligent sequencing of the I-5 corridor to increase traffic flow; data sharing between public and private sector transportation agencies to improve traffic management and reduce congestion, and many more.
If you have an idea for a project for the Mobility Innovation Center, please contact us.
Challenge Seattle is a private sector initiative led by 17 of the region’s CEOs formed to ensure that greater Seattle continues to thrive as one of the most vibrant, innovative and globally competitive regions in the world by recognizing the uniqueness of our people, our culture and our pioneering companies.
Among its four goals, Challenge Seattle seeks to develop world-leading infrastructure that drives our future growth and vitality and improves quality of life.
Learn more about Challenge Seattle and its vision for Transportation in the Seattle region here.
Genesee oversees government relations and communications efforts for the department and serves as the primary point of contact for the mayor's office at SDOT. Genesee has worked on transportation policy, projects, and financing for more than 16 years between Washington, DC and Washington state, including 14 years as a full-time lobbyist in Olympia for the University of Washington, King County, Seattle, and non-profit advocacy organizations.
Rob Gannon serves as the General Manager of King County Metro Transit and is responsible for all facets of the organization. He also participates as a member of the cabinet of King County Executive Dow Constantine. During his leadership, Metro has supported greater equity in the community by advancing the Low-Income Fare for Transit (ORCA LIFT) program and undertaken significant reforms in fare enforcement practices. Metro has been named the best large transit system in North America.
Christine Gregoire is a lifelong public servant and advocate for education, jobs and government reform. She is a University of Washington graduate and was the first woman to be elected Attorney general in Washington State. She served three terms as AG before being elected Governor in 2004. Since leaving office in 2012, Gregoire has chaired the Import-Export Bank Advisory Committee and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Board. She helped found Challenge Seattle in 2015, becoming the organizations first CEO.
Amy Grotefendt is the President of EnviroIssues, a consulting company with offices in Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, and Oakland that engages the public in conversations that define the communities that they live, work and play in. She has more than 25 years of experience managing and executing communications, public involvement and government relations strategies on some of the region’s most complex transportation projects, including the replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and SR 520 floating bridge. Amy has served on the board and executive committee of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and currently co-chairs the transportation task force. She is also a past board member, including serving as president, of Transportation Choices Coalition.
Paula Hammond is the National Transportation Market Leader for WSP USA, responsible for representing the company as an industry leader in the emerging field of transportation innovation. Before joining WSP USA, Paula served 34 years with the Washington State Department of Transportation, most recently as Washington’s Secretary of Transportation from 2007-2013.
Eric’s research contributions span theoretical and practical challenges with computing systems that learn from data and that can perceive, reason, and decide. His efforts have helped to bring multiple systems and services into the world, including innovations in transportation, healthcare, ecommerce, and aerospace. He has been elected fellow of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Association for the Advancement of AI (AAAI), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Washington State Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Nikolaus S. Lang is a Senior Partner in the Munich office of The Boston Consulting Group and a core member of its Automotive and Industrial Goods practices. He is BCG's topic leader for mobility, connectivity and autonomy and has consulted many clients across a wide range of industries on these topics recently. Having lived ten years in Asia and having worked in most of the world’s emerging markets, he also supports his Europe-based clients on an array of innovation and globalization-related topics that range from global R&D networks and BRIC sourcing strategies to global-manufacturing-footprint designs and emerging-market entry strategies. Nikolaus Lang holds a PhD, summa cum laude, in business administration and an MBA from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
Lara Littlefield is Chief Advancement Officer for Innovation at the Global Innovation Exchange and at CoMotion, UW’s collaborative innovation hub, and also leads business development for both organizations. She has 20 years of experience in resource development, working with over 50 nonprofit organizations internationally across the arts, civic, education, environment, health and human social service sectors.
Loreana Marciante is Sr. Emerging Mobility Solutions Engineer with HNTB’s national Intelligent Transportation Systems team, working to develop strategic emerging mobility solutions – including electric, automated, connected and shared vehicles – that lead to positive impact for people, the environment and U.S. transportation system as a whole. She has broad experience in the urban built environment, working at the intersection of transportation innovation and sustainable urban development. Most recently, she led the transportation work within the Paul G. Allen philanthropic portfolio, overseeing the Smart City Challenge initiative.
Roger Millar serves as the chief executive officer for an agency of approximately 6,800 employees statewide and a budget of $7.4 billion. WSDOT is the steward of a multimodal transportation system and responsible for ensuring that people and goods move safely and efficiently. In addition to building, maintaining, and operating the state highway system, WSDOT is responsible for the state ferry system, and works in partnership with others to maintain and improve local roads, railroads, airports, public transportation systems, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities Roger is an experienced land use and transportation engineer, planner, and program manager with an international reputation for innovative approaches to conservation and development. He built his reputation by leading organizations that plan and deliver successful community-based solutions for state, regional, and local governments.
Babak received his BA in Literature from University of Washington, BS in Electronics from Sharif University of Technology, MS in Physics from University of Michigan, MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Univ. of Michigan; and completed his postdoctoral fellowship in Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University. Prior to joining Amazon he was a Google Distinguished Engineer and a Director at Google [x], where he created Google Glass, co-founded the smart contact lens program, and founded the robotic surgery program. His interests span novel computing and communication paradigms, high-tech with social impact, bionanotechnology, nano-scale devices, and photonics.
Before joining Sound Transit, Peter served since July 2014 as Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy in the U.S. Department of Transportation, the department’s third highest-ranking official. In that role he led the development of policies for the department, generating proposals and guidance regarding legislative, regulatory and safety initiatives. His work spanned all transportation modes, including aviation, highway, rail, transit and maritime transportation. Prior to his FTA appointment, Peter served for 22 years on the staff of the Senate Appropriations Committee, including 14 years as the Democratic Staff Director of the Transportation Subcommittee, led by Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey.
Rachel has nearly 15 years of experience in government affairs, advocacy, and strategic advising at the local, regional, state, and federal levels. She currently serves as Chief of Staff for King County Executive Dow Constantine where she is responsible for administration of the Executive’s staff, directing strategic initiatives, and external and internal policy coordination.
Rachel has worked extensively on transportation issues in the Puget Sound region; as Government and Community Relations Officer for Sound Transit and also in the administration of Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. Rachel is a Board member of the non-profit transit advocacy group Transportation Choices Coalition.
Caleb Weaver oversees Uber's public affairs for 11 western U.S. states, leading efforts to develop forward-looking public policy on a variety of issues, including ridesharing and shared new mobility options, state and local transportation planning, and the availability of a social safety net for the modern workforce. An attorney by training, Caleb previously spent many years managing policy and communication issues for corporate clients and senior government officials at the state and federal levels.
As the world market leader in traffic technology, Siemens offers their customers all the necessary elements and complete solutions from a single source, keeping urban and interurban traffic moving. In his role, Marcus Welz is responsible for the US-based Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems’ including all functions such as marketing, sales, R&D, product management, manufacturing, project management, and customer service. He is also responsible for driving the strategic direction of the business. Marcus Welz holds a Business Administration degree from Munich University of Applied Science and a Master of Science Degree in Energy Engineering from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
Howard is an industry leader in hotel, restaurant, travel, and tourism in Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. He is a graduate of Washington State University with a degree in Latin America Studies, and a graduate of Harvard Business School. Mr. Wright has a passion for Latin America, having spent several years in service learning programs most recently in Guatemala. In addition to several corporate boards, he has served, or is on the boards of the Market Foundation; the Funhouse Commons (an afterschool and youth drop-in center on Orcas Island); the Museum of Art at Washington State University; and the Amigos de las Americas Foundation.
Sam Zimbabwe is the Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation. Sam joined SDOT in January 2019 after more than 7 years at the District Department of Transportation, in Washington, DC. Throughout his 20-year career spanning the public, private, and non-profit sectors, Sam has been dedicated to building city transportation systems that work for people.
CoMotion at the University of Washington is the collaborative innovation hub dedicated to expanding the societal impact of the UW community. By developing and connecting local and global innovation ecosystems, CoMotion helps innovators achieve the greatest impact from their discoveries.
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