FRAN – Free Ride Around (the) Neighborhood
Polaris GEM e6 Electric Vehicles Are Manufactured in Anaheim
FRAN is distinct from other microtransit systems: It is a free, electric-vehicle service accessed through app technology and operated by a public transportation agency, not by a private company.
“FRAN is place-based microtransit,” said Anaheim Director of Community & Economic Development John Woodhead. “It integrates with pedestrian, auto and bus mobility in Center City, which has developed into a constellation of booming retail, restaurant, residential, office and entertainment destinations such as The Packing House and Center Street. Just as importantly, FRAN is an expression of the city’s personality, with colorful vehicle designs rooted in Anaheim’s history and culture.”
FRAN does not follow fixed routes but rather visits several fixed stops based on riders’ pick-up and destination requests within the Center City area. FRAN is wheelchair accessible, and two vehicles will be retrofitted with a wheelchair-accessible ramp. Operating hours are seven days a week, generally between 11 am to 10 pm/midnight. The 10 Polaris GEM e6 vehicles accommodate a driver and five passengers, and its drivers are knowledgeable docents of the Center City area, much like travel guides (see more on the Polaris GEM vehicles below).
Who is FRAN?
While FRAN is an acronym for Free Ride Around (the) Neighborhood, its identity is inspired by Francisca Avila Rimpau, a founding mother of the historic Anaheim Colony, and of the entire Southern California region.
Francisca Avila Rimpau was born and raised in the Avila Adobe, the oldest standing residence in Los Angeles (in Olvera Street, an historic district and part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument in Downtown Los Angeles). Francisca’s father, Francisco Avila, was mayor of Pueblo de Los Angeles before California became part of the United States. In 1850, Francisca married a German immigrant, Theodore Rimpau. Theirs is one of the first recognized marriages after California gained statehood and is an historic California love story.
Francisca’s 15 children were among the real estate developers, educators, and movers and shakers in early Los Angeles and Anaheim society. Francisca’s daughter Matilda was the first female graduate of Anaheim High School. The 10 FRAN vehicles are named after 10 of Francisca’s daughters and granddaughters, and each FRAN car is branded with an illustration of Francisca.
Polaris GEM e6 Vehicles Made in Anaheim
The FRAN fleet consists of 10 new Polaris GEM e6 vehicles. Polaris GEM, one of the world’s leading innovators of electric vehicles, is also one of Anaheim’s most successful manufacturers. Polaris GEM is the first commercially produced street-legal, low-speed vehicle in the U.S. Its passenger and utility electric vehicles are sustainable and economical, with zero emissions and low operating costs. GEM vehicles save significant amounts of carbon dioxide, and save costs to the City over the vehicles’ lifespans compared to other vehicles.
“Anaheim’s history of innovation and imagination is legendary around the world, and the City has outdone themselves with this very forward thinking micro-transit system,” said Polaris Commercial and Government Vice President and General Manager Keith Simon. “Polaris is passionate about staying on the forefront of microtransit innovation so we feel right at home here in Anaheim, and proud to produce the FRAN fleet right here in the city.”
Polaris GEM low speed vehicles are increasingly used to move people in innovative ways in micro-transit systems, including transporting people and products through the world’s largest entertainment centers (including Disneyland Resorts, Anaheim Convention Center and Angel Stadium of Anaheim).
Other FRAN Facts
FRAN is operated by Anaheim Resort Transportation (ART), a public transportation agency, and funded by grants and property-owner assessments. FRAN drivers are provided by consultants We Drive U and the FRAN app is developed by DoubleMap.
“FRAN’s microtransit approach combines the convenience of private, app-based hailing services, such as Uber and Lyft, with the familiarity of public transportation,” said ART Executive Director Diana Kotler. “This is one of the most exciting developments in public transportation. Rather than forcing riders to follow our transit schedule, we follow theirs.”
The FRAN app will have full technical integration with ART bus service, including through a new planned ART app. The apps will let riders plan trips to 80 destinations in Anaheim and Orange County served by ART. These include Anaheim’s resort and convention destinations and to ARTIC, The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center, which combines rail, bus, taxi and other services, and which is a hub for major destinations such as Angel Stadium and Honda Center.
“Traditionally, transit modes have operated separately,” said Kotler. “But the future lies in connecting them as neighborhood-related services. Microtransit is the flexible, place-specific mobility that will interface with upcoming modes, including autonomous vehicles, flying taxis or whatever transportation experts can imagine.”
Source: https://gem.polaris.com/en-us/articles/news/anaheim-debuts-unique-all-electric-microtransit-service/