Today, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the first round of the new Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program. The first round of grants is funding 59 projects across the country with funding over $94 million. The grant is funded by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“Every major advancement in the history of U.S. transportation has involved technological progress,” said Buttigieg. “The investments we are making today are about fostering innovations that improve people’s day-to-day lives, making transportation safer, more reliable, more efficient, and more sustainable.”
The funding from the SMART Grants Program aims to support a diverse number of projects:
- Projects that will help improve transit reliability, speed, and fare payment, making the experience more seamless for riders.
- Projects that will improve safety for workers and drivers in work zones.
- Projects that demonstrate smart traffic signal technologies including Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures and transit and emergency vehicle signal priority.
- Projects that will focus on smart grid projects to prepare their communities for more widespread adoption of electric vehicles.
- Connected vehicle projects will deploy connectivity demonstrations that focus on topics like transit prioritization and safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
“We are thrilled to see the interest in SMART during its inaugural year. This shows the important role this new program can play in helping support State, local, and Tribal efforts to advance technology applications,” said Dr. Robert C. Hampshire, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology and Chief Science Officer.
For a full list of awards, click here.
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Source: USDOT
