Ulster County and Via’s proposal to bring on-demand, electric microtransit to Kingston, Ellenville awarded grant
Ulster County, N.Y., and Via’s proposal to bring on-demand electric microtransit through a mobile app to Kingston and Ellenville has been selected as a phase one awardee in a statewide grant program.
The proposal, Ulster Connect, was awarded a grant through the New York Clean Transportation Prizes’ Clean Neighborhoods Challenge. The proposal is a joint initiative between Ulster County, Sustainable Hudson Valley, Family of Woodstock and Via, and will be the first mobility service of its kind in the county.
“Ulster County is excited to partner with Via to provide residents of the county access to clean, on-demand, electric transit,” said Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan. “Our innovative proposal has moved to the next round, and we are one step closer to providing quick, efficient and energy-smart transit to residents in the Kingston and Ellenville areas.”
“Via is proud to partner with Ulster County, a recognized leader for sustainability in New York State, to use our TransitTech software to expand access to mobility in underserved communities,” said Via’s Head of Public Policy Andrei Greenawalt. “Via will work with Ulster County and community partners to ensure clean, affordable and convenient transportation is available to those who need it most.”
Within the Ulster Connect microtransit app, Via’s intelligent algorithms will enable riders to book a ride to a location within the Kingston and Ellenville region, and then direct them to a virtual bus stop within a short walking distance – allowing for quick, efficient shared trips that provide more flexibility than traditional public transit fixed routes and schedules. Riders without smartphones will be able to book a ride through phoning a call center.
In addition to the electrified microtransit service, the Ulster Connect program will also leverage community perspectives to inform the development of a smartphone app to make it easier for residents to plan and book efficient travel itineraries that use multiple modes of sustainable transportation (such as Ulster Connect, bikeshare and existing electrified buses).
The Clean Transportation Prizes is supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and aims to fund programs that electrify transportation, reduce air pollution and enhance clean mobility for disadvantaged communities in New York State. As one of 17 projects announced through phase one of the competition, Ulster Connect is eligible to compete for up to $85 million in grand prizes under phase two. The project proposal will receive a phase one award package of up to $200,000, including a $100,000 planning grant for further proposal development, up to $50,000 in funding for community partners, and up to $50,000 in in-kind support from technical experts.
Ulster Connect will be able to compete for a final grand prize for the Clean Neighborhoods Challenge, which will award up to three $10 million grand prizes through phase two to innovative projects that address air pollution reduction at scale in underserved communities. As selected project teams finalize their proposals, they will prepare for a pitch competition to be held in the summer of 2022 with grand prize winners expected to be announced in late summer 2022.
Last month, Ryan announced that Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) put its first three electric buses on the road, which were purchased with funding from the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP), administered by New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA). The addition of three electric buses brings the number of green vehicles in Ulster County’s fleet to approximately nine percent – progress towards the county’s Green Fleet policy goal of 20 percent green by 2025 – with nine more buses scheduled to be replaced with electric buses in the coming years.
