Oh, here are our people right here.

Connor, give me a call later on.

I got an issue that I was going to talk to the commissioner about.

Sure thing.

All right.

Jeff, you're up here.

Sorry.

No problem.

Oh, thank you.

All right, it's now 201.

Uh good afternoon, everyone.

Glad to be joined here with the DPW committee.

Um, in regards to our VOS scooter uh program that we have here in the city of Syracuse.

Happy to be uh joined by President Pro Temp uh Hogan, uh Councillor Anave, Council Williams, uh Connor and Jeff from uh VO.

We're glad to have you here today.

Um we're getting straight to the point.

I don't foresee this meeting being too long.

Um we just want to talk about the promises that were made um when we had a revisit of the VO program here in the city of Syracuse and uh what that would look like in the near future, uh potentially moving forward.

Um so how do you want to start with some questions first and then?

Yeah, I think um you know, uh I realize you're pinch hitting for for Eric who is still on paternity leave.

Uh for Neil, same same consideration.

Neil, I didn't realize Neil was out.

Yeah, we're good.

Um, the some of the agreements that we got to last November December were around the tip over technology, the AI, the um uh the opportunity zones and um kind of increasing participation and ridership for the access program.

Um the last report I got from uh Eric was uh early on in the season and for the access program.

He gave me about three percent of rides, which was uh similar figure to the prior year.

Um and uh we you know, we look at micromobility as being part of the transportation landscape, and you know, we hear statistics about one four families doesn't have access to a vehicle.

Um survey data uh is provided often talks about individuals not having access to a vehicle, um and kind of the the mismatch or misalignment between the number of rides given to individuals in the low-income programming and the claims of you know, no car and household and no access to to vehicle.

So those are you know from in terms of our contract renewal, those were the four points that were made and I'd like to revisit each of those.

Sure.

Um so let me just start uh Connor Malden, Chief Operating Officer.

Um so they o is a as you as you identified, Counselor, uh uh micromobility service that is a very important part of our transportation landscape.

Um about 26% of our households do not have access to a vehicle.

Uh and and um my colleague for friend uh Jeff from uh Valeo can can talk a little bit more about uh some specifics of the program.

Um but also want to identify that um this is a program that serves city employees as well.

Um I just heard from Commissioner uh Fordock at DPW um that a number of sanitation workers use this program every day to get to the DPW uh site, uh which is not uh by by nature of its location on the DPW campus, not terribly well accessed by public transportation.

So um not only is this serving residents but also our employees in City Hall as well.

You know, I don't think anything's arguing the utility of the the program and the concept of micromobility program, it's more the you know, the details of the way it plays out within our city.

Great.

I'll turn it over to Jeff.

Yeah, absolutely.

First off, thank you all for having me and the opportunity to come speak with you with your questions and concerns under our deal thing.

Green Lance provide and to provide this update.

Um so very appreciative for that.

And so I I suppose, counselor, uh if I may ask, would you like me to sort of run through kind of a general you know, set of updates?

Would you like to me to spot excuse me, me to respond to specific questions?

How would you like to proceed here?

We can do the updates first and then we'll go to specific questions after that.

Absolutely.

So, yeah, as as counselor Williams mentioned, um our renewal at the end of last season and prior to this year, you know, per uh sort of stipulated several areas in which you know via service was meant to uh evolve and essentially improve.

Um, and so happy to talk through those here.

Uh the council already mentioned uh a handful of them.

Um I have a few more.

In fact, um, you know, the for the first uh the this updated scope of work contemplated us uh via paying fees to the city um for the uh privilege to operate here in Syracuse.

Um we talked quite a bit about tip over detection, have some very good updates on that, you know, and something I'll I'll be able to stress and answer questions around is it is detection, it is not prevention.

And so when a vehicle is seen as tipped over in on the sidewalk following a ride, that does not mean that particular piece of technology is is failing or did not work or is not on.

It is meant to alert our team uh as to the presence of the tipped over vehicle without necessitating a report from anyone.

So with that with the statement there, what is the response time from uh the alert from the system from the VO bike to your system to let you know that that particular device is tipped over.

So that we somebody can adequately respond to that to make sure that it's a good idea.

That's a major concern to you.