The City of Knoxville’s Scooter Rental Program (PDH*)
Dr. Christopher Cherry
Associate Department Head of Undergraduate Studies and Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Tickle College of Engineering
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Recipient of the TSK-sponsored Charles E. Ferris Faculty Award 2015 & 2020
Monday, November 14, 2022
11:30 a.m.
The formal meeting begins at 11:55 a.m.
Dr. Cherry conducted North America’s first electric bike sharing pilot program, using the UTK campus as a research test bed. It also was the subject of his first presentation to The Technical Society of Knoxville.
He advised and analyzed the City of Knoxville’s three-year shared dockless scooter pilot program, which resulted in the Knoxville City Council’s approval of the present Shareable Powered Micromobility Vehicles and Systems Ordinance, last December, which most recently was revised to permit shared e-bikes, too.
Chris Cherry received his BS and MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Arizona and received his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 2007.
His research interests include multimodal transportation planning and operations, public transportation systems, travel behavior and demand, transportation economics, sustainable transportation and transit security. Since coming to UT in August 2007, he has embarked on a research and education program that focuses on sustainable transportation, including aspects of transportation safety, economics and environment.
Much of his research work has focused on rapid motorization of Asia, including research projects in Vietnam, India, and China, for which he received a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award to study motorization and sustainability in China.
Cherry has explored behavioral and environmental aspects related to electric bikes, scooters, and larger electric vehicles. He has published articles related to the growth of electrical two-wheelers.
He’s also interested in the role of technology in commercial vehicle safety as well as bicycle transportation planning and safety.
He studies bicycle and pedestrian safety investments, which are often difficult to prioritize in traditional highway safety funding mechanisms.
Cherry received a 2009 Faculty Environmental Leadership Award from UT for his commitment to environmental stewardship on campus as well as the CEE Research Recognition Award in 2012 and 2009.
* This meeting is offered as a professional development hour for Tennessee-licensed engineers and architects.
The presentation meets the TN State Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners’ continuing education requirements. It will consist of at least 50 minutes of prepared presentation with discussion reserved for the time after the meeting. TSK does not guarantee approval, but strictly meets the Board-specified requirements and issues a certificate of attendance.
The State Board does not pre-approve such hours. It is the responsibility of each PE or architect to determine whether the topic conduces to proficiency in her or his field of professional practice.