What’s All the CoMotion About in Miami?

IATR Joins Forces with CoMotion to Promote Transportation Innovation!

The fifth edition of the CoMotion conference was on May 6-7, 2024 in Miami. CoMotion is a global platform where the most innovative transportation and technology companies, as well as civic and business leaders from across the mobility ecosystem, converge to explore, collaborate, and interact to share ideas. From cutting-edge tech companies to visionary civic and business leaders, CoMotion is the nexus for sharing ideas, forging and driving impactful public-private partnerships that will shape the future of transportation. In addition to the Miami conference, CoMotion holds events in Los Angeles and Vancouver.

Matt Daus and Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation

This year’s Miami conference focused on connecting transit systems, unlocking collaborative opportunities, reinventing supply chains, standardizing for efficiency, automating the street, micromobility, innovative building development, and enabling seamless journeys. CoMotion attracts transportation leaders from around the globe to engage in conversation about where the sector is headed. I was honored to lead two of these conversations by moderating plenary panels, which covered innovative practices and working through bureaucratic processes to deliver quality results. Also, my law firm, Windels Marx, and its transportation law practice, were proud to sponsor the conference and the VIP party held on the opening night of the show.

Matt Daus; John Rossant, CoMotion Founder and CEO; and other sponsors at the opening night VIP party

Finally, CoMotion Miami was a nice preview or segue for what great things will come when the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR) hosts its 37th annual conference in South Florida this coming October. On hand at CoMotion Miami were Carlos Cruz-Casas and Raul Gonzalez, our IATR conference co-hosts (along with Broward and West Palm Beach Counties). Congratulations to John Rossant and his team, including Timothy Gribaudi, Vivian Myrtetus, Anna Figel, and Anna Ward, on organizing another amazingly successful event.  More importantly, we are excited to announce that IATR and CoMotion are officially partnering and working together on a number of levels to promote innovative partnerships – as discussed more fully below.

Raul Gonzalez, Chief of the Miami-Dade County Passenger Transportation Regulatory Division; and Kim Ramkishun, Membership Director at the International Association of Transportation Regulators

From Left: Gabe Klein, Executive Director of the U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation; Matt Daus; and Tiya Gordon, Co-Founder and COO of itselectric

Future or Fundamentals?

On the first day of the conference, I led the panel discussion, “Future or Fundamentals? Navigating the Way Forward for Urban Mobility.” The panel convened transportation leaders on the frontlines of innovation and implementation to explore how they are answering the key question of mobility today: how do we balance the possibilities of the future with the needs of today? I was joined by Eulois Cleckley, Director and CEO of the Department of Transportation and Public Works for Miami-Dade County (DTPW); Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer and Head of the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation; Chris Bruntlett, International Relations Manager at the Dutch Cycling Embassy; and Jim Gibbs, Co-Founder and CEO of Meter Feeder, Inc.

From left: Eulois Cleckley, Director and CEO of the Department of Transportation and Public Works for Miami-Dade County; Matt Daus; Jim Gibbs, Co-Founder and CEO of Meter Feeder, Inc.; Chris Bruntlett, International Relations Manager at the Dutch Cycling Embassy; and Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer and Head of the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation

Our conversation explored how much to invest in developing innovative, nascent modes versus improving existing ones. As technologies like electrification and autonomy hit inflection points, leaders are trying to identify the priorities that best serve people. This means deciding between conventional goals – like congestion reduction – and new ones, like 15-minute cities.

Cleckley oversees the 15th largest public transit system in the country and the largest transit agency in Florida. With approximately 4,000 employees, DTPW is one of the largest departments in the Miami-Dade County government, serving a population of 2.8 million residents. Cleckley noted the significant foundation of Miami’s transit system, which includes Metro Mover, Metro Rail, Metro Bus, paratransit, and the on-demand service Metro Connect. In addition to these modes, Miami uses Federal grant money to improve curbside management by using cargo bikes to move freight and cargo around the city.

Johnson leads Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification in working across state government, academia, and private industry to enhance the state’s mobility ecosystem, including developing dynamic mobility and electrification policies and supporting the start-up and scale-up of emerging mobility technologies and businesses. She plays a critical role in driving a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Department of Labor and Opportunity, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, and the Governor’s Office. She stressed the importance of a holistic view of transportation as an ecosystem, including land, air, and sea. She also discussed how workforce, infrastructure, and policy are integral to developing this ecosystem through manufacturing, aggressive infrastructure goals like EV charging, and creating a policy environment that helps innovation and technology thrive.

Bruntlett brings diverse skills to his role at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, including writing, photography, filmmaking, podcasting, public speaking, and digital media management. He first visited the Netherlands in the summer of 2016 and quickly fell in love with its seemingly effortless bicycle culture and unique approach to transport planning. This cross-country tour inspired him to co-author the book “Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality,” which shines a spotlight on the Netherlands’ incredible (and often underappreciated) achievements as the foremost cycling nation. Bruntlett uses his knowledge and passion to share practical lessons for global cities wishing to follow in their tracks and become better places to live, work, play, and – of course – cycle. He talked about cycling as a tool for creating liveable cities and the importance of sharing knowledge and expertise with private and public sector organizations to help them think about what liveable cities can look like.

At Meter Feeder, Gibbs delivers streamlined solutions for individuals, fleets, and municipalities to pay for parking, pay parking tickets, and enforce parking. He talked about integrating software into truck and fleet telematics, eliminating manual payment for parking. These technological integrations help cities collect money more efficiently, and on time, to better fund mobility projects.

Innovation Comes in Many Forms

I also led the panel discussion “Getting Creative: Innovation Comes in Many Forms.” As much of history has shown us, there are many roadblocks on the path to the future of mobility. Bureaucratic policies and systems do not always mix well with the quick pace of innovation. Political and cultural appetite for the new and unfamiliar can surge and plummet. In the face of these obstacles, this panel looked at out-of-the-box solutions – from pilot programs to creative legislation – which the public and private sectors have implemented to test out the new technologies, infrastructures, and strategies that will take us further along the new mobility road.

From left: Matt Daus; Juan Carbonell, Senior Vice President of Mobility at Masabi; Morteza Farajian, Executive Director of the Build America Bureau at the U.S. Department of Transportation; Alejandra Argudin, CEO of the Miami Parking Authority; and Hon. Eileen Higgins, Miami-Dade County Commissioner

For this panel, I was joined by Alejandra Argudin, CEO of the Miami Parking Authority (MPA); Eileen Higgins, Miami-Dade County Commissioner; Morteza Farajian, Executive Director of the Build America Bureau at the U.S. Department of Transportation; and Juan Carbonell, Senior Vice President of Mobility at Masabi.

As CEO of the MPA, Argudin is responsible for the largest parking agency in Florida. The MPA manages over 46,000 spaces and has an operating budget of more than $40 million. In 2015, through her leadership, the MPA was one of only five organizations that obtained the Accredited Parking Organization (APO) designation from the International Parking Institute, and they were one of only two organizations to receive the APO with Distinction in 2016. She discussed procurement issues, including budgetary constraints and time frames, noting that cost-effectiveness can be attractive for government contracting, but might sacrifice quality. According to Argudin, pilot programs can help vet vendors before procurements, ensuring quality contracts. In her view, procurement processes, as well as legislation, can lengthen tech adoption processes, and legislators must be mindful of keeping up with technology to allow public agencies to best serve the public.

Commissioner Higgins has served as the County Commissioner for District 5 since 2018. She represents a dynamic and vibrant district that includes Little Havana, West Flagler, and parts of Miami Beach, Downtown, Brickell, and Coral Way. She noted the necessity for federal money for most infrastructure projects, which comes with lengthy federal processes like environmental assessments that can be challenging for infrastructure projects. Commissioner Higgins also pointed out that local permitting processes could be more efficient.

At the Build America Bureau, Farajian is responsible for certain credit programs and loan guarantees that support large-scale and multimodal transportation infrastructure development. The Bureau also promotes innovative project financing solutions and helps state and local governments develop and finance Public-Private Partnership (P3) transactions for transportation facilities. He spoke about the financing tools the Bureau offers, highlighting transportation infrastructure funding that allows for transit-oriented development financing, and funding for innovative finance and asset concession programs in which agencies can look to better utilize publicly owned assets.

Carbonell delivers fare payments-as-a-service for public transit agencies of all sizes around the globe. Through Masabi’s Fare Payments platform Justride, agencies receive the latest innovations quickly, using a platform that is constantly updating and adding new features. He spoke about the need for agencies to be open about follow-up to pilot programs, allowing companies to know what may come from their participation. He also stressed the importance of outcome-led procurement, where agencies look for outcomes, but not specific mechanisms or tools. This allows the market to come to them with innovative ideas and solutions.

IATR & CoMotion Join Forces – Getting on Board – literally…

John Rossant Joins IATR’s Advisory Board, and Matt Daus Joins CoMotion’s Global Strategic Council!

The energy at CoMotion Miami this year was palpable. From the insightful discussions to the exciting connections made, it was clear that the future of transportation is being shaped by a collaborative spirit.

In that vein, I am thrilled to share some exciting news that underscores this very point. CoMotion has appointed me to their Global Strategic Council (comotionglobal.com). The Global Strategic Council is made up of leaders in the transportation and mobility industry and helps CoMotion navigate the space. Additionally, CoMotion and John Rossant, Founder & CEO of CoMotion and Founder & Chair of NewCities Foundation, have joined the International Association for Transportation Regulators (IATR) Advisory Board (iatr.global/advisory-board/).

Matt Daus and John Rossant, CoMotion Founder and CEO

Rossant is a visionary leader with a remarkable track record in shaping the global conversation on urban innovation and transportation. As the Founder and CEO of CoMotion, he spearheads a dynamic team dedicated to driving innovation and collaboration across the mobility ecosystem. In addition to CoMotion, he is also the Founder and Chair of the NewCities Foundation (newcities.org/), a prominent non-profit institution committed to enhancing the quality of life in cities worldwide. He is also the author of “Hop, Skip, Go. How the Mobility Revolution Is Transforming Our Lives,” recently published by HarperCollins.

Before his roles at CoMotion and the NewCities Foundation, Rossant made significant contributions to global forums such as the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where he led the production team. His expertise has been instrumental in convening high-profile events around the world, including in China, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Notably, he organized the inaugural e-G8 summit on the future of the Internet at the behest of French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2010.

Rossant has been a trailblazer in bringing government and the private sector together to engage in innovative mobility partnerships. The CoMotion events over the years in LA and Miami have led to numerous positive outcomes and represent the cutting-edge future of mobility on full display. Thought leaders and innovators from every corner of the country (and now the globe) gather to trade ideas, and IATR is fully supportive of these collaborative efforts. We look forward to working even more closely together now that CoMotion is officially a member of our IATR advisory board.

By integrating the expertise of IATR with the dynamic energy of Rossant and CoMotion, this collaboration promises to enhance regulatory frameworks while fostering innovation and sustainability in transportation globally. Through shared insights, resources, and networks, both organizations are poised to drive positive change, and to unlock new opportunities in the rapidly evolving mobility landscape.