CIVIC-PG Track B: Advancing Community-Centered, Equitable, and Sustainable Solutions (ACCESS) for Walking, Biking, and Micromobility Infrastructure

This Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC) Stage 1 project funds research that involves the development, deployment, and refinement of a system for advancing community-centered, equitable, and sustainable solutions (ACCESS) for walking, biking, and micromobility infrastructure that is safe and accessible. The research team will develop an online visualization tool as the platform for a multilingual, AI-enhanced, data-driven process with broad participation in the biking and pedestrian infrastructure planning.

This tool plans to identify infrastructure and safety concerns, and facilitate a community-initiated, two-way communication process with transportation agencies for effective problem-solving. The planning phase of this project will bring researchers, transportation planners, decision makers, and community stakeholders together to discuss and refine the deployment plan for the platform.

Walking, biking, and micromobility infrastructure (e.g., sidewalks, curb ramps, bicycle lanes, accessible pedestrian signals) are critical for improving transportation equity and providing access to essential destinations to people of diverse demographic and socioeconomic status. They are particularly important for community members who are underserved by the car-centric transportation culture.

However, the communication channel for voicing infrastructure needs is not always straightforward. The main challenge is the lack of data (e.g., mobility, accessibility, and safety data for identifying issues and building consensus), tools, and processes to support effective and efficient communication of infrastructure needs in both ways. Linguistic barriers (non-English speakers), low technological or professional literacy (unaware of or unable to articulate the need clearly), and lack of trust add additional difficulties in enabling the community of broad participation.

The research team at George Mason University will integrate technological solutions in transportation data analytics, safety, interactive geographic interface, and multilinguistic generative AI with strong leadership from community partners to support effective communication and board participation of community members in the biking and pedestrian infrastructure planning process. The research team will work with various stakeholders to refine the research plan in the planning phase of this project.

The new tools and processes help to remove various barriers to effective communication and develop efficient consensus-building mechanisms among the three types of stakeholders: agencies, users, and advocacy groups in the civic process.

This project is in response to the Civic Innovation Challenge program’s Track B. Bridging the gap between essential resources and services & community needs and is a collaboration between NSF, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Energy.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.