Missions Team Ambassadors arrived safely in Liberia and hit the ground running. Taking our work in the community beyond the borders. We’re laying the groundwork toward a Linden-Liberia Education & Cultural Exchange.
COCDF’s Executive Director and Chief Engagement Officer Adam Troy spoke at this year’s OSU Legends Lecture Series: How to Become a Legend in Business at OSU’s Fisher College of Business on Thursday. The event was sponsored by the Black MBA Association. Adam spoke to students, faculty, and guests about the foundation’s mission: Creating a Connected Community, and his personal mission of “Maximizing Human Potential through the Art of Access — Connecting People, Place, and Product.’ The presentation centered on social entrepreneurship and driving meaningful and productive partnerships. He emphasized working with young people, especially young entrepreneurs. Too often we leave them out of the conversation or push them away from the table because they may not have the years of experience or education. But as business people, they have ideas and this is where they can learn. Adam also advised everyone in the room to be a connected citizen. Network, get to know people, work on different projects in the community, volunteer. This is how we grow and make a difference.
This Saturday!
Come join us at St. Stephens Community House to celebrate community connection with the Linden LEAP. The nation’s first Public, Self-Driving shuttle, servicing the Linden neighborhood daily throughout 2020. Brought to you by SMRT Columbus.
Linden is introducing the LEAP.
The nation’s first Self-Driving neighborhood shuttle.
Free to the public and stopping at four locations throughout the Linden area for the next year.
Come down to St. Stephen’s Community House on Saturday the 15th to see for yourself and celebrate smart community connection.
Through the winter cold and rain, Linden residents, business owners came out to the 614 for Linden January Open House on Saturday. The next open house is Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020. Location to be announced and more info to come.
Before the holidays, the two shuttles arrived at St. Stephen’s and started closed-course testing and operator training in the back parking lot. During this time the shuttles were wrapped and went from plain white to Smart Columbus rainbow and OneLinden blue and green. Take a look at them now!
This week, the shuttles will continue closed-course testing in the parking lot and if all goes well, they will start on-road testing as soon as Wednesday, January 8th. During on-road setup and testing, an operator will be on board while the vehicle maps the route and test the technologies in the real-world environment. If you encounter the shuttles during on-road testing, please be aware and courteous. Remember the shuttles will travel at an average of 3 mph during route setup and up to 9mph during testing. During the testing, we’ll be evaluating vehicle technology in its surrounding environment such as stopping at stop signs and following other vehicles.
On-road testing will continue through January leading up to the launch anticipated to be late January.
Upcoming Open Interviews for Shuttle Operators | JAN 14
In partnership with EmpowerBus, local mobility start-up, we’ll be holding Open Interviews for Autonomous Shuttle Operators at St. Stephen’s Community House on Tuesday, January 14 at 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
EmpowerBus is hiring up to 6 operators to ride and oversee the operation of 2 self-driving shuttles servicing a 4 stop route in South Linden. The vehicles will have stops at the Linden Transit Center, Rosewind, Douglas Rec Center, and St. Stephen’s Community House. The shuttles will operate 7 days a week from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. with suspensions in service from 8-9:30 a.m. and 2-3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Positions start at $15/hr. for full-time and part-time positions are available. Full-time positions offer benefits.
Attend these open interview hours to learn more. No resume necessary. Apply online now by filling out an application at https://www.empowerbus.com/careers. Select “Autonomous Operator” under position type.
Linden is set to make history next month as Smart Columbus launches a self-driving shuttle in South Linden, the first public self-driving shuttle operating daily in a neighborhood setting in the country! The shuttle route, known as the Linden LEAP (Linden Empowers All People), will provide free rides to anyone wishing to travel between St. Stephens Community House, Douglas Recreation Center, Rosewind Resident Council Building and the Linden Transit Center.
What’s the purpose of the LEAP?
The LEAP was created to help South Linden residents get to and from important destinations where there aren’t any bus stops. The City and Smart Columbus worked with Linden residents and stakeholders to identify the stops, which provide access to healthy food, childcare, healthcare, affordable housing, recreation, COTA’s CMAX line and more.
Is it free to ride and how often do the shuttles come?
Yes, the shuttle is free to all and will pick up passengers at each stop every 12 minutes. Safety is our top priority. W
e’re erring on the side of caution and suspending service of the LEAP during school arrival and release times. The tentative service schedule is 6 AM to 8 AM, 9:30 AM to 3 PM, and 4:30 PM to 8 PM daily. The shuttles can accommodate strollers and wheelchairs and can carry up to 12 passengers.
How do self-driving vehicles work?
The shuttles use multiple layers of redundant technologies in order to maximize the safety of passengers and road users. These technologies include sensors, LiDAR, cameras, GPS, odometry, and inertial measurement units, which ensure the vehicle follows the route and avoids obstacles. A trained operator will always be on board to oversee the technology and to take over control of the vehicle if needed. Operators are also available to answer passenger questions about the technology and to assist passengers. The shuttle will never go faster than 15 MPH and will typically travel around 12 MPH.
When will it launch?
The shuttle is part of a one-year pilot program funded by the Smart City Challenge grant awarded to the City of Columbus by the US Department of Transportation. Shuttle testing along the route without passengers will begin on a closed course in St. Stephens Community House’s parking lot the week of December 16th. Shuttle testing on public roads along the route without passengers will start in early January. The shuttle is anticipated to launch to the public in late January. The whole community will be invited to attend the launch event and to take the first rides aboard the shuttle.
EmpowerBus, the local mobility company in charge of operating the shuttles, is actively looking to hire 8 people, 4 full-time employees, and 4 part-time employees. Positions start at $15 an hour. Full-time employees will receive benefits. Stay tuned for open interview hours in the New Year. Interested individuals can submit their application at https://www.empowerbus.com/careers by selecting “Autonomous Operator” under position type.
As you take rides on the shuttle, your real-time feedback will help inform other uses of this exciting technology in Ohio, and across the nation. Stay tuned for more to come!