Off to a Busy Start!

Written By Cityfi

By Ryan Parzick

We are already a couple of weeks into 2025 and are excited to share highlights from Cityfi’s year so far! If we keep this pace up, we may need to request changes to the Gregorian Calendar to give us more time. From celebrating our role in four winning proposals for the Communities Taking Charge Accelerator program (including a groundbreaking project exploring the untapped potential of light urban vehicles), we’ve been hard at work championing innovative, equitable transportation solutions. This edition of the newsletter also revisits lessons from Latin America on designing transportation systems with gender equity in mind, dives into Anna Zivarts’ powerful critique of car dependency in When Driving Is Not an Option, and reflects on the energy and insights from this year’s Transportation Research Board (TRB) meeting. Whether you’re here for updates on “never been done before” projects, thought-provoking reads, or a recap of the nerdiest transportation event of the year, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in!

Taking Charge!

 
 

By Kyle Ragan and Evan Costagliola

Last year, the Cityfi team had a busy summer supporting many of our partners to pull together grant applications to the Communities Taking Charge Accelerator program. This program provides funding to advance emerging clean mobility solutions that can impact communities across the U.S. While it was a sprint to pull these proposals together over what seems like an eternity ago, the work paid off! Last week the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation announced twenty-five award recipients, of which Cityfi was part of four winning grant applications. We are excited to support these projects and the impact that they will have in advancing innovative mobility. Below is a quick synopsis of the projects we played a role in developing:

National City Climate Innovation Challenge: Increasing Charger Availability and Utilization in Urban Environments
This project, led by the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) along with our partners at Automotus, It's Electric, and Voltpost, combines electric vehicle (EV) charging and curbside management strategies in an effort to grow public EV charging access while also managing curbside and incentivizing turnover. Cityfi is thrilled to be partner on this project!

Illuminating the First Mile: Leveraging Lamppost Charging for E-Mobility Around Transit Hubs
Led by Voltpost, this initiative will deploy EV charging infrastructure around transit hubs in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The project will test innovative partnership models to provide both public access to charging and carsharing services through Zipcar, ensuring equitable e-mobility options for all. Partnerships with local transit agencies will help address first- and last-mile gaps for commuters and community members alike. We look forward to being a part of this project!

Speeding Up Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) E-Mobility Solutions
Led by the Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC), with the Urban Freight Lab as a partner, this project focuses on creating regulatory clarity for emerging vehicle form factors in public spaces. Through a collaborative process involving industry leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders, the team will develop model policies, codes and infrastructure designs. The resulting templates will empower states and cities with tools to implement uniform regulations, foster growth of the Light Urban Vehicle sector, and provide consumers with clean, affordable mobility solutions. As Senior Associate Sarah Saltz’s Cityfi blog post proclaims, we are excited to be a part of this project, as well!

“I-EMPOWER” - Integrated Electric Micromobility POWerHubs for Equitable Replication
Cityfi also supported the successful award of I-EMPOWER, a joint collaboration between Oonee, Swobbee, the New York University Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management, and the cities of Jersey City, NJ and Minneapolis, MN. This $3.7 million grant will fund a first of its kind network of 20+ Oonee secure micromobility parking stations equipped with Swobbee’s swappable battery charging towers in Minneapolis, while extending Jersey City’s existing network from 7 to 17 stations. Cityfi provided grant teaming, strategy, and writing support, and we couldn't be more happy to see two of electric micromobility’s most promising startups gain some well-deserved funding.

For a full list of projects, please visit the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation’s site announcing the awards.

Small Vehicles, Big Impact: Harmonizing Policy to Unlock Light Urban Mobility

 

Photo Credit:  Electrek

 

By Sarah Saltz

What’s the big deal with little vehicles? Light urban vehicles (LUVs) are making waves across the U.S., offering affordable, clean, and convenient alternatives for short trips and last-mile delivery. These compact vehicles, such as e-cargo trikes and quadcycles, bridge the gap between bicycles and full-sized cars, addressing challenges like traffic congestion, emissions, and road safety. Despite their promise, the rapid growth of LUVs has been met with a patchwork of regulations that vary widely across states, creating barriers to adoption and hindering their potential to transform urban mobility.

The fragmented regulatory landscape leaves critical questions unanswered: Where should LUVs park? Can they access public charging stations? Are they permitted in bike lanes or treated as motor vehicles? Cityfi, along with industry leaders and policymakers, is tackling these challenges head-on by convening a cross-sector working group to harmonize policies and craft a unified framework for LUVs. By creating clear and consistent regulations, this effort aims to unlock the full potential of LUVs while advancing broader climate, equity, and mobility goals.

As noted above, Cityfi's commitment to LUV adoption has been bolstered by a Communities Taking Charge Accelerator grant. Together with partners like the Shared-Use Mobility Center and the Urban Freight Lab, Cityfi is working to reimagine how cities and states can embrace these innovative vehicles. Interested in learning more or getting involved? Read more in today’s Cityfi blog post about these vehicles and how public officials and private industry leaders are coming together to chart a path for harmonious growth.

Lessons from Latin America in Transportation Part 2: Designing Transportation Systems with Gender in Mind

By Karla Peralta and Carolina de Urquijo

As part of Karla and Carolina's three part series of Lessons from Latin America in Transportation, this second installment was an interview with Daniela Chacon Arias, Executive Director at Fundación TANDEM and former Vice Mayor of Quito, Ecuador and Liza Castillo, Senior Director at SLOCAT Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport. Both are members of Mujeres en Movimiento, a regional network championing gender equity in mobility.

Through their experiences, Daniela and Liza have addressed challenges ranging from combating harassment in public transit to empowering women in the transportation workforce.

Though this blog post was published before the Holidays, we didn’t want it to be missed by our newsletter readers. Read the interview in the Cityfi blog!

A Vision for Inclusive Mobility

 

Image Credit:  Island Press

 

By Vicki Fanibi

Anna Zivarts’s When Driving Is Not an Option is a timely and compelling exploration of how car dependency marginalizes millions of Americans. Whether due to physical ability, age, income, or immigration status, many individuals must navigate a transportation system overwhelmingly designed to favor car owners. Zivarts paints a picture of the daily barriers nondrivers face—unsafe sidewalks, unreliable transit, and unaffordable housing near transit—and offers bold, actionable solutions to make cities more inclusive.

Zivarts firmly asserts that nondrivers are not a fringe group; they are our neighbors, colleagues, and family members who rely on walking, biking, buses, and trains to get around. Yet, as she illustrates, these vital lifelines are often poorly maintained and undervalued. Sidewalks end abruptly, bike lanes are unprotected, and bus service is infrequent—forcing nondrivers to risk their safety just to get to work, school, or essential appointments. Her book is a call to action to build infrastructure that is accessible to people of all incomes and abilities. 

At Cityfi, this challenge resonates deeply with our work to help cities reimagine their mobility systems. We’ve seen the transformative impact of complete streets initiatives, where prioritizing pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users over cars leads to safer, more vibrant neighborhoods. Zivarts’s focus on equity mirrors our approach to curbside management, where data-driven tools equitably manage and efficiently accommodate the needs of all road users. Her book emphasizes that nondrivers must be visible to decision-makers, and policies must move beyond car-centric thinking to address the broader societal impacts of inequities—from constrained economic mobility to environmental degradation.

Projects we’ve worked on—such as micromobility plans and pilots that integrate shared mobility with transit systems—have demonstrated how inclusive transportation planning has a multiplier effect unlocking opportunities for economic growth, environmental resilience, and community well-being. Personally, Zivarts’ work resonates with my own decision to be car-free in Washington, DC. Like many nondrivers, I’ve experienced the tradeoffs of navigating a car-dependent society: waiting for buses that never arrive, walking a mile in inclement weather to buy groceries, and spending hundreds of dollars on car shares. For me, being car-free is partly about personal values but it’s also a financial reality. Over 60% of my income goes toward housing near a bus stop, bike-share docks, and a Metro station—privileges that enable a car-free lifestyle.

As Zivarts reminds us, access to safe, reliable, and affordable transportation should not be a privilege, but a right. Her book underscores the urgency of dismantling car dependency to create a mobility system where everyone can thrive.

Zivarts offers a critique of the status quo and a roadmap for change—one that aligns closely with Cityfi’s vision for mobility innovation. By centering equity and sustainability, we can design streets and cities where nondrivers are no longer invisible but integral to how we plan, build, and grow.

TRB: Was That Really Just Two Weeks Ago?

Photo Credit: Transportation Research Board

By Story Bellows

Time flies when you’re juggling news of wildfires in Los Angeles, pondering how to help affected communities, and speculating about the new administration’s agenda and its early Executive Orders. But we’d be remiss not to pause and reflect on the nerdiest and most energizing annual event in transportation: the Transportation Research Board (TRB) meeting, where experts took over the D.C. convention center just two short weeks ago.

TRB is a playground for the curious, offering 4,000 presentations on everything from autonomous vehicles (AVs) to staffing plans to active transportation and pavement technologies. This year, policy conversations—both official and in hallway sidebars—stood out for their breadth and urgency. Among the buzz-worthy discussions: the early impacts of Manhattan’s congestion pricing initiative. It was a thrill to talk with colleagues about how this policy could inform similar efforts globally, while reinforcing the importance of strong public transit as a foundation for success.

The conference was also a sobering reminder of the challenges ahead. Conversations about climate migration felt prophetic as wildfires spread in California, underscoring the need for adaptive infrastructure and policies that support communities in transition. Federal employees questioned the future of the programs they’d put in place to increase charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, directly support cities and their collaborations, and begin to repair harms caused from past highway construction projects. But amidst the weighty topics, there was joy in connecting with peers who share a passion for digging into the wonkiest details of transportation data standards and finding creative solutions to today’s pressing problems.

And then, there was the snow. With federal offices closed and the National Portrait Gallery—my favorite TRB meeting spot—off-limits, I was reminded of the simple truths of great transportation: walkable neighborhoods, shoveled sidewalks, and sturdy boots. As much as we talk about cutting-edge tech, it’s the basics that truly move us forward. If I missed you this year, I’ll see you in 2026—snow boots optional.

Where in the World is Cityfi?

Check out where Cityfi will be in the upcoming weeks. We may be speaking at conferences, leading workshops, hosting events, and/or actively engaging in collaborative learning within the community. We would love to see you.

Safe Streets Summit - Palm Beach, FL - February 6 - 7

Innovative Mobility Solutions and Partnerships - Friday, February 7th (3:00 PM - 3:45 PM)

Emerging transportation technologies are revolutionizing how we approach safety, efficiency, and mobility for all. This session provides an outlook on the future of transportation and how public-private partnerships, policies, data, artificial intelligence, and other innovative tools can help advance transportation systems that prioritize safety and expand mobility options for all.

Join Partner Karina Ricks as she moderates this panel with community and mobility experts.

What We’re Reading

Curated by Vicki Fanibi and Ryan Parzick

In addition to the informative articles we find interesting typically added to this section, this edition also features press releases we have been mentioned in! As noted above, we played a role in several awards for the Communities Taking Charge Accelerator grant program. Below are two press releases highlighting projects we’re proud to be a part of:

Now back to the regularly scheduled programming … here are the articles handpicked by the Cityfi team we have found interesting:

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