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Grand Rapids staff report DART car‑share pilot is 'generally successful' but scaling hinges on charging infrastructure and funding clarity
Summary
City staff said the DART car‑share pilot, launched in October 2024, has expanded to 10 vehicles and is outperforming some expectations, but commissioners asked for cost-per-mile data, clarity on a paused USDOT NEVI grant and recommended faster DC charging and additional utilization data to scale the program.
Jessica Smith, the Mobile GR director, told the commission the DART car‑share pilot launched in October 2024 and has grown from five cars at launch to 10 vehicles today. "We're about 15 months into this program," she said, and described the pilot as "generally successful." She told commissioners the contract began in May 2024 and runs through April 2026 and that the city budgeted $300,000 over three years from the parking fund to underwrite the pilot.
The presentation included program metrics and funding details: staff reported the program is averaging about $88,000 per month in operating costs and that the initial contractor, Mobility Development, has pursued…
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