USDOT Announces $8.9 Million Grant for ConnectSmart in Houston |
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Federal Highway Administration
13 October 2016
FHWA 51-16 - Houston
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Contact: Nancy Singer
Tel.: 202-366-0660
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today announced an $8.9 million grant for the Houston District of the Texas Department of Transportation to implement a variety of intelligent systems technologies in the city of Houston.
“Providing more transportation options helps connect people to jobs and supports economic growth,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "Making business and services more accessible will improve the quality of life of residents in Houston.”
The Texas Department of Transportation received the $8.9 million grant under FHWA’s Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment (ATCMTD) program to deploy advanced technologies as part of Houston’s ConnectSmart. The project will integrate transportation management systems across the various modes of transportation to benefit drivers and carpoolers, transit riders and bicyclists. The system will provide additional real-time information on carpooling, ridesharing and the availability of shared electric bicycles.
“This project is truly multi-modal and will improve the safety and reliability of Houston’s transportation system for everyone,” Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau. “It will help relieve congestion and enhance the region’s economic vitality.”
The award was part of a larger announcement totaling $56.6 million to fund advanced technologies various areas in the country. The ATCMTD program funds technologies that address the concerns outlined in Beyond Traffic, the USDOT report issued last year that examines the challenges facing America's transportation infrastructure over the next three decades, such as a rapidly growing population and increasing traffic.
ATCMTD was established under the “Fixing America's Surface Transportation” Act. State departments of transportation, local governments, transit agencies, metropolitan planning organizations and other eligible entities were invited to apply under the program.