Innovating Mobility: Piloting an AI-Powered Multimodal Transit System

Advancing connectivity for Tennessee’s growing vehicle manufacturing hubs

Tennessee is now at the forefront of the vehicle manufacturing revolution, with state-of-the-art industrial hubs like Blue Oval City (BOC) and Volkswagen’s Chattanooga Plant driving innovation. Blue Oval City, developed by Ford and SK Innovation, represents a groundbreaking EV manufacturing ecosystem in West Tennessee. Ford’s Campus at Blue Oval City will be the home of the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center, which will produce our next- generation all-electric truck. This Campus will reimagine how electric vehicles and batteries are designed, built, and recycled, and all Built for America. Similarly, Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant serves as the North American hub for EV assembly, assembling the all-electric ID.4 and houses the high-tech Battery Engineering Lab. 

To address the unique transit challenges posed by the enormous workforce at these rapidly growing industrial hubs, Dr. Sabya Mishra, director of the Center for Transportation Innovations in Education and Research (C-TIER)  at the University of Memphis, is leading a transformative project funded by the Tennessee Economic and Community Development (TN-ECD). This initiative focuses on designing and piloting an AI-powered multimodal transit  system to seamlessly connect rural, suburban, and urban communities to these employment centers.

In collaboration with transit agencies like Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) and Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA), as well as industry leaders, the project will explore innovative transit solutions. These include real-time route optimization, integrated park-and-ride systems, and stakeholder-driven transit planning. The goal is to provide reliable, efficient transit options tailored to the needs of diverse communities, ensuring employees and residents can access these critical hubs with ease.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

This effort goes beyond enhancing regional transit; it lays the groundwork for a statewide model of accessibility, job creation, and sustainable transit, bridging gaps to ensure efficient and reliable access to critical employment opportunities. Dr. Mishra explains,"This initiative will bridge gaps between rural and urban areas, ensuring seamless access to critical employment hubs. Our work is not only about connecting communities but also about building a sustainable transit framework that can serve as a model nationwide".

This collaborative project brings together expertise from Dr. Abhishek Dubey from Vanderbilt University, Dr. Candace Brakewood from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, and Dr. Mina Sartipi from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Together, they aim to create a future where public transit is not just an option, but the preferred choice for efficient, connected, and sustainable communities.

For more information, please contact, Mishra at smishra3@memphis.edu.