3 Questions We Got Asked at NY Climate Week

This week, we attended Third Sphere's New York Climate Week event along with other emerging climate tech startups and companies. Third Sphere showcased innovative clean tech hardware from companies in a variety of industries: electric aviation engines and motorcycles, new air conditioning technology, 3D printed ecowaste surfboards — you name it!

As a part of the showcase, Circuit provided attendees with free, all-electric rides between the event space and the nearby subway. We were excited to be a part of this clean tech showcase and enjoyed sharing a piece of our sustainable service with the industry.

Here's What People Wanted to Know:

1. Why would cities hire Circuit instead of adding more public transportation to fill first-mile/last-mile gaps?

Cities partner with Circuit because we offer dynamic, cost-efficient solutions that work in tandem with existing public transportation to fill first-mile/last-mile gaps. Operating as an electric, on-demand, ride-share option, Circuit serves more riders more efficiently than some fixed-route options. 

If cities tried to fill transit gaps by adding traditional public transportation, they'd have to:

1. Build expensive physical infrastructure.
   Physical infrastructure (e.g. stop signs, bus stops, train tunnels, etc.) takes significant time and money to build, and the process disrupts other transit and traffic operations. 
2. Use more vehicles and drivers.
   This increases congestion, is more costly, and harms sustainability efforts. 
3. Choose outdated and inefficient vehicles.
   Older transit vehicles were envisioned for the needs of cities in the past whereas modern, clean tranist focuses on meeting current and future needs while adopting innovation into transportation systems. 

Cities could build more traditional public transit to fill these gaps, but Circuit has proven that we do it more efficiently, less expensively, and sustainably —that's why cities choose us.

2. What's the typical size of a Circuit fleet?

We offer flexible microtransit options to ensure that we can tailor our services to the exact needs and wants of different communities. This includes municipalities and private partners. 

In West Palm Beach, FL, we partnered with Hilton West Palm Beach, AKA West Palm Beach, and The Ben hotels providing them each with a single shuttle to get their guests to areas like the beach and downtown. 

We worked with the City of Fort Lauderdale, FL to deploy 20 vehicles that integrate with local public transportation to fill gaps and improve efficiency and access.

We operate 300+ vehicles in 40+ markets across 7 states. Whatever your community needs, we're here to partner with you. 

3. How is Circuit different from competitors?

Circuit isn't the only microtransit company, but here are some things that make us stand out:

1. We provide all electric fleets, and we always have.
   Since our inception in 2011, Circuit has used entirely electric fleets to further our goal of sustainable transit. Other comparable companies offer a mix of gasoline powered vehicles and electric vehicles.
2. Cities and partners receive a fully managed turnkey service. 
   From owning vehicles, hiring and training W2 drivers, creating smart-routing software, handling operations, and implementing microtransit for customers — we manage it all. Our competitors tend to specialize in a few of these areas and contract out the rest which can be expensive and invites unnecessary risk into deals. 
3. Our goal is to work with existing transit.
   Circuit services aim to integrate into existing transportation options making the entire transit ecosystem stronger. Other microtransit companies operate in large service areas rather than these gaps causing them to function more like an Uber or a Lyft than a form of public transportation. 

Any further questions? Check out our FAQ or contact us, and we'll be in touch!