U.S. Department of Transportation Awards $1.83 Million to Ohio’s NEORide to Improve Access to Transit Services in Ohio & Surrounding States

Projects will improve transportation for Ohioans

FHWA 27H-22
Contact: [email protected]
Tel.: (202) 366-0660

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) together awarded more than $1.83 million in innovative technology grants to Ohio's NEORide to improve mobility and multimodal connections for Ohioans.

The FHWA provided a $1.49 million Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment (ATCMTD) grant and the FTA provided a $338,600 Enhancing Mobility Innovation (EMI) grant to the project. Together, the grants will improve the availability of real time information to connect riders to multiple transit agencies providing service to jobs, health care and other opportunities throughout Ohio and surrounding states.

"With these grants, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping communities deliver modern transportation systems that connect people to where they want to go more affordably, efficiently, and safely," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "We're pleased to support these innovative solutions that will improve driving and public transit for Americans in urban, suburban, and rural areas alike."

The $1.49 million ATCMTD grant will go to Ohio's NEORide public transit agency platform for the EZConnect project in Northeast Ohio. EZConnect will deploy a cloud-based real-time mobility coordination center (RMC) that builds on NEORide's integrated mobility platform serving multiple transit agencies in Ohio. The project will enable real-time open data exchange for demand response software and enable other client management and scheduling software to share customer profile and eligibility information, trip requests and booking confirmations, provider and vehicle information, and trip performance status.

"ATCMTD grants promote innovations that help expand access to transportation for communities in rural areas and cities alike, improve connectivity, and prepare America's transportation systems for the future," said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack. "The EZConnect project in Ohio will facilitate access to jobs, healthcare, education and other needs in Northeast Ohio using sustainable and connected multimodal transportation solutions."

FTA's $338,600 grant will go towards NEORide's Council of Governments (COG) representing 18 transit agencies in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Arkansas to develop software that facilitates integrated on-demand public transportation.

"The EMI program provides more tools to improve mobility and make all modes of transit easier to use and more attractive to riders," said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez. "This funding will help recipients test new innovations with a goal of deploying long-lasting solutions that create opportunities for people in their communities."

The FHWA's ATCMTD program funds early deployments of forward-looking technologies that can serve as national models. In total, FHWA's ATCMTD program this year awarded grants valued at $45.2 million to 10 projects using advanced intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technologies that will improve mobility and safety, provide multimodal transportation options and support underserved communities. ATCMTD was established under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. Now in its sixth year, the program has provided more than $300 million to more than 55 projects.

The FTA's EMI program supports innovations that give people better options for how to get around and encourage people to get on board, such as integrated fare payment systems and user-friendly apps for on-demand public transportation. By focusing on innovative service delivery approaches, creative financing, and novel partnerships, these awards will accelerate the industry's progress on adapting technology to improve access and on-board experiences. The FTA's EMI program awarded $4 million in grants to nine transit agencies and organizations in six states and the District of Columbia to improve mobility and the experience for transit riders.

The EMI program supports the Biden-Harris Administration's goals to increase transit access and promote environmental justice. FTA encouraged proposals that advance the objectives of the Administration's Justice40 initiative by investing in innovations that benefit disadvantaged communities. By making transit more attractive for riders, the program also helps meet the Administration's climate goals.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues the ATCMTD from 2022 through 2026 at the same level of funding with a greater focus on rural transportation, transit, paratransit and protecting the environment. The President's infrastructure law adds several new eligible activities such as advanced transportation technologies to improve emergency evacuation and response by federal, state and local authorities, integrated corridor management systems, advanced parking reservation or variable pricing systems and technologies that enhance congestion pricing and automated vehicle communications.

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