03/21/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/21/2023 06:01
First round of grant awards, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supports projects to improve worker safety, make transit more reliable, and support local business districts
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the first round of grants totaling over $94 million for 59 projects across the country through the new Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program. The competitive grant program, established by President Biden's historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides State, local, and Tribal governments $500 million over five years to leverage technology to create safer, more equitable, efficient, and innovative transportation systems.
"Every major advancement in the history of U.S. transportation has involved technological progress," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete 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 will support a diverse array of topics and communities:
The first year of the program was oversubscribed with $6 of applications for every $1 available for grants. "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.
This year's awardees will build internal teams and partnerships as they refine their concepts, focus on technology procurement and demonstration, develop labor and workforce roadmaps, and position their projects for impact in their communities.
The full list of awards totaling $94,783,781 can be viewed here. The maximum award per project was $2,000,000 for this round of funding. The next funding opportunity of $100 million is expected to be released Fall, 2023.
An interactive map depicting all SMART projects can be found here.
For more information on the SMART Grants Program, sign up for the SMART newsletter on the program website or reach out to [email protected].
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