FAQs

Princeton University is studying travel demand and fleet requirement with a concrete demand forecasting model. AV's will be repositioned throughout the City and throughout the day depending on historical and real-time demand patterns which takes advantage of the system's flexibility. Keep in mind that 100 vehicles in Trenton is only the start. As the project develops, the Operational Design Domain will scale up. 

Yes. There will be an operational center where majority of vehicles are parked and charged. The State under the Governor's vision along with the City are already building a widespread charging infrastructure network. Some of the kiosks may also be designed with the mind to provide parking and charging for AVs but this is yet to be determined. 

The beginning stages of this project will be entirely funded by a $5 million grant. Throughout the first few years, this project will receive funding from both public and private sectors. Ultimately, the project will be fully funded without taxpayer money. Eventually, the system should become financially self-sufficient. 

Equity and opportunity are some of the fundamental tenants of this system. In order to achieve those tenants, Trenton MOVES must be affordable. Making this service affordable and usable for Trentonians is a top priority for us.

We will only select manufacturers and technological providers that meet rigorous safety tests. The vehicles must have a high level of safety redundancy (i.e. if a safety-critical system fails, there will be emergency backup system to perform similar functions.) 

The Trenton MOVES project intends to thoroughly test any potential vendor for a myriad of safety requirements. 

Our goal is to have the first phase of residents riding in the vehicles in 2023 or 2024. 

The goal of the plan is to serve anyone who wants to use the service. However, Trenton MOVES will be deployed phase by phase. Initially, there will be limited pilots to ensure operational safety. It would then serve those who would benefit the most from the service (e.g. those who can't drive or do not have their own vehicle). Once the Operational Design Domain is scaled up, it can essentially serve everyone. 

Yes they will. The State and the City are committed to sustainability and clean energy, including where the vehicles and electricity are sourced from. This is another reason why we are positioning N.J. into a hub for mobility innovations with contributions from both world leading universities and the private sector. 

The City of Trenton distributed a preliminary survey to residents online via the TalkTrenton website and in person during meetings a places like Donnelly Homes and several of Trenton's senior centers. Additional outreach with key constituencies will take place as well as presentations to civic groups, student organizations, the Trenton Planning Board and other outlets. 

Neighborhood by neighborhood community engagement events and user interviews will also take place. 

This project is a partnership at the state, county and local levels. There has also been a lot of conceptual work done by Princeton University. For these reasons, we felt Trenton was a logical place to start. 

We consider Trenton, and by extension, Central N.J., a real DEPLOYMENT  opportunity for this technology to deliver its true social values, and NOT a testing site. 

The goal is to find success in Trenton and expand the system throughout Mercer County to provide even greater opportunities to Trentonians and other Mercer County residents. This process can be replicated in Newark, Camden, Atlantic City and more.