This year has seen lots of changes at CDOT, and an increased emphasis on multimodal transportation and its planning by the state’s new administrations. In pursuit of these goals and the effective development of related projects, CDOT has established their new Office of Innovative Mobility. The Office of Innovative Mobility will house CDOT’s Division of Transit and Rail.
Most visibly, the Division of Transit and Rail (DTR) operates CDOT’s popular Bustang (and Bustang Outrider) service – an intercity bus system that serves to connect Colorado’s biggest cities and rural regional hubs to one another. DTR also manages partnerships and administers grant funding to more than 50 public and human service transit agencies across all of Colorado. In addition to these activities, DTR plans and examines the opportunities for future statewide freight and passenger, and Front Range rail.
Also within the Office of Innovative Mobility will be entities that explore and execute innovative pilot projects (including those developed with ‘P3s’ – public private partnerships), and there will be entities that consider the development and application of new traffic information systems and intelligent transportation technologies that can improve safety and traffic flow outcomes.
Merging DTR’s operations with other CDOT programs will meaningfully change the way that CDOT plans for best outcomes, and develops successful and integrated multimodal transportation options – both in major metros and statewide. The creation of the Office of Innovative Mobility is underpinned by both Governor Polis and the new CDOT administration’s goals of enhancing alternative and multimodal transportation, including transit, carpooling, demand management mechanisms, electrification, and numerous emerging technologies.
The creation of the Office of Innovative Mobility comes several months after Governor Polis signed an early January executive order directing CDOT and the Colorado Department of Public Heath and Environment (CDPHE) to pursue the adoption of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV). According to the state government, it is Colorado’s goal to get 940,000 electric vehicles (EVs) on the road by 2030.
The Office of Innovative Mobility will be led by Sophie Shulman. Sophie comes to CDOT from electric vehicle charging company, Electrify America, where she led partnerships and business development. Prior to that she served as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology with the US Department of Transportation.