San José Emerging Mobility Action Plan

Our process centers the experiences, needs, and priorities of BIPOC communities first as we prepare for unknown shifts in transportation technology and business models.

Maybe it’s a new way to connect people to VTA’s transit services. Or it might be a new method to connect people to real-time transportation information. Mobility services and technologies are rapidly changing. San José’s diverse communities demand more mobility options that are designed with their needs and preferences in mind. The San José Department of Transportation hired a Nelson\Nygaard-led team to develop an Emerging Mobility Action Plan (EMAP), a framework to manage emerging mobility services to ensure they are serving the public interest and addressing mobility challenges in the community.  

The EMAP is much more than a typical process to on-board new mobilities. We built an equity-centered action plan to understand, adapt to, manage, and partner with emerging mobility models. Our process centers the experiences, needs, and priorities of Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities first as we prepare for unknown shifts in transportation technology and business models.

Our BIPOC community-informed policy and investment framework facilitates a shift towards equitable access to mobility options. This framework focuses on potential strategies that can be achieved through emerging mobility and transportation technology. This framework will serve as a template for future mobility efforts to foster collaborative, community-based, and equitable processes.