The state, in partnership with the National Park Service, has announced the National Park Michigan Mobility Challenge (NPMMC). The goal of the challenge is to deploy innovative mobility solutions in and around Michigan’s five national parks.
“The National Park Mobility Challenge will bring together the beauty of Pure Michigan and our state’s cutting-edge mobility expertise to create safer, cleaner and more accessible transportation infrastructure in and around our state parks,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in a statement. “We will continue collaborating with the National Park Service to show how next-generation transportation solutions can better connect residents and visitors to our beautiful state.”
Challenge applicants should focus on three mobility areas: small automated electric shuttles with the goal of replacing private vehicle trips and reducing traffic; multimodal electric charging hubs for fleet and other vehicle providers; and an expansion of micromobility offerings in and around Michigan national parks.
Project proposals are due by Sept. 6 and will be evaluated based on their ability to be implemented. Grant funding will also be available.
Last year, Michigan and the U.S. Department of the Interior signed a memorandum of understanding to begin working together on a broad range of projects to explore the numerous transportation issues that have surfaced in and around national parks in Michigan.
