Pilot Programs
Michigan Central and Newlab have partnered to create a place where cutting-edge startups, experts across multiple industries, top academics and community leaders come together to develop solutions and skills that address pressing societal and mobility-related challenges and help usher in a more accessible, sustainable future for all.
Part of building a world-class innovation ecosystem is our ability to test new technology quickly in the real world, helping get these solutions out into society faster and cutting down on development time and costs. Michigan Central worked with the City of Detroit to designate a Transportation Innovation Zone (TIZ) in the district, where entrepreneurs and innovators can fast-track safe piloting and deployment of new mobility solutions.
Keeping the community informed about this new technology is a priority of Michigan Central and Newlab, and we are committed to being transparent with our neighbors about what we’re doing in the TIZ. That’s why we have chosen to participate in the Digital Trust for Places & Routines (DTPR), an open-source communication standard, in order to increase the transparency and accountability of digital technology in our communities.

Current Pilots
Learn more about each of the pilot projects below. On these pages, you can access the data transparency page specific to each pilot. If you would like to access that directly, visit our transparency portal.
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10/12/23
Derq
Analyzing Traffic to Improve Pedestrian Safety -
10/12/23
Pluck & Biliti Electric
Optimizing Produce Pick-Up & Drop-Off for Local Urban Farms -
10/12/23
Electreon
Wireless Roadway for Electric Vehicles -
10/12/23
JustAir
Sensors Monitoring Air Quality -
10/12/23
Smartcross & Snobotix
Robot Helping Pedestrians Cross Intersections Safely -
11/1/23
Blueflite
Testing New Technology for Safer Paths at Night