CDOT, Arrivo and E-470 Announce Major Partnership to Build  Hyperloop-Inspired Transportation System

DENVER—Today, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), E-470 Public Highway Authority and Arrivo—a next-generation transportation company engineering a hyperloop-inspired infrastructure and vehicle system—announced a public-private partnership to build the first ever "Arrivo" super-urban network to serve the greater Denver region.

Download Arrivo videos and photos, and b-roll footage from the announcement.

"Twenty-first Century transportation technology is finally arriving, and Denver is positioned to be the early benefactor," said Brogan BamBrogan, co-Founder of Arrivo. "Everyone is a winner with our technology. Passengers and cargo arrive quickly and efficiently at extremely low cost. The whole region also wins as our high-throughput enables more total miles traveled to support growth and economic firepower. Arrivo will end traffic and futureproof regional mobility. Now that's a big win."

Based in Los Angeles, Calif., and now also in Aurora, Colo., Arrivo includes a team of veteran engineers and transportation experts, including early SpaceX engineer BamBrogan. Arrivo will also be expanding its corporate operations by building an Engineering and Technology Center in the Denver region. This will feature a full-system test track adjacent to the E-470 Toll Highway where the proposed first commercial leg of the Denver network will be built.

"Colorado's rapidly growing population and booming economy makes for the ideal location for the development of an Arrivo system," said Gov. John Hickenlooper. "Arrivo's additional decision to locate their test facilities, adding up to 200 employees by 2020 and $10 to $15 million to our economy in 2018, is a testament to the culture of innovation that drives our economic engine."

Unlike the Hyperloop model, Arrivo is focused on regional distances, providing high-speed travel to connect every part of a super-urban region such as Denver in less than 20 minutes. Engineered for maximum versatility, the Arrivo system propels four models of vehicles that serve different passenger and cargo needs through an enclosed, electromagnetic superhighway. The technology uses magnetic levitation to make the vehicles float, and electric power to move them forward. Additionally, Arrivo's proprietary technology keeps the system moving at full speed and delivers each vehicle directly to its destination.

"Arrivo's system is an additional layer of transportation designed to complement existing modes of transportation, connect with the airport, the metro, and even allow people to use it with their own car. The residents, visitors and businesses of Denver will now have a new tool to be anywhere they want to be," BamBrogan says.

"We are reaching max roads in many cases in Colorado. Arrivo has a unique and practical approach to implementing Hyperloop technology to eliminate traffic and dramatically improve the way people and goods move around the city," said Shailen Bhatt, executive director of CDOT. "As part of the next steps, we are committed to working with Arrivo on the feasibility of how we address mobility in our state."

As a first phase, Arrivo and CDOT will conduct a feasibility study for the first commercial leg, in conjunction with construction of the Arrivo test site near E-470. Arrivo plans to have the first commercial route operating in Denver in the next four to five years, which could also serve as a high-speed connector for other transit systems entering into the Denver area.

"E-470 has transformed over the years from a well-managed, successful road to include a technically-charged organization that is leading the toll industry through its continuous advancements in the area of technology," said Sandy Bish, information technology Director at E-470 Public Highway Authority. "We look forward to working with Arrivo and CDOT to review the potential development of this innovative technology that could improve mobility in Colorado."

For the past year, Arrivo has focused on finding strategic projects and partners to accelerate its commercial ambitions. This included linking with AECOM, which has experience designing, building and financing global transportation projects around the world.

About RoadX

RoadX is CDOT's bold vision and commitment to being a national leader in using innovative technology to create travel in Colorado that's free of crashes, injuries and delays. To learn more about this rapid, fast-paced venture to transform our aging transportation system, visit roadx.codot.gov.

About Arrivo

Arrivo is a next-generation transportation company engineering hyperloop-inspired infrastructure and vehicle systems that will dramatically change the future of travel, and ultimately eliminate traffic. Based in Los Angeles, Calif., Arrivo includes a team of veteran engineers and transportation experts. At Arrivo, everyone is an engineer in their own right; deeply trained and deeply passionate about designing and building a company, a technology and an infrastructure to not only transform transportation, but also re-imagine the way we build cities and regions in the future.

About E-470

E-470 is the 75 mph toll road running along the eastern perimeter of the Denver metropolitan area. E-470 is a user-financed roadway, receiving no local, state or federal funds for financing, construction, operations or maintenance. E-470 is a political sub-division of the state governed by the E-470 Public Highway Authority Board composed of eight local governments including Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties, and the municipalities of Aurora, Brighton, Commerce City, Parker and Thornton. E-470 also operates ExpressToll, the all-electronic toll collection system available on E-470, Northwest Parkway, and Colorado's Express Lanes.