ERI: Decision Models for Designing and Managing the Curb Spaces in Urban Mobility Systems

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Dearborn, Dearborn MI

Investigators

Abstract

This Engineering Research Initiation (ERI) award will focus on the management of the curb spaces in cities as part of the smart city initiative. Curb spaces have evolved very rapidly with the arrival of new mobility services and increased needs for goods delivery. Currently, curb spaces are not only used for parking but also used for the pick-up/drop-off zone of ridesharing services, bike-share or scooter parking racks, delivery zones for online shopping companies, etc. Motivated by the need for effective use of curbs, this research aims to maximize three core metrics: access (ensuring that vehicles can find a curb space), timeliness (the ability to secure access to curb space as soon as possible), and economic opportunity for all residents (the ability of the city to have earnings not only from the parking but also from the other uses of the curb space). More broadly, this research has the potential to result in reduced carbon dioxide emissions, less time spent in traffic, decreased traffic hazards, increased business satisfaction due to more on-time deliveries, and less congestion. This research will also actively engage female and minority graduate and undergraduate students and promote engineering education. This project takes advantage of collaborating with the City of Grand Rapids in Michigan to acquire meaningful real-world data for validating the models and deriving solutions. It aims to create rigorous analytical approaches to promote a broader understanding of the vehicle dynamics in urban mobility and inform the operational design of curb spaces in the city. The specific tasks of this research include: (1) development of stochastic dynamic capacity allocation and pricing models for curb space management; (2) expanding the purview of capacity and demand to include all possible uses of curb space other than parking (e.g., pickup/drop-off, loading/ unloading); and (3) testing the operational and financial viability of new dynamic pricing models that consider all different curb uses with varying demands. This research will lead to advances in mobility systems modeling and solution approaches. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.