U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced Tuesday nearly $50 million in new initiatives meant to expand transportation access for low-income residents, older adults, and people with disabilities.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announcement was made at the Access and Mobility for All Summit. Funds will focus primarily on programs that develop and deploy related technology or further interagency partnerships that aid mobility. The event was attended by industry, academic, nonprofit, and governmental leadership, including U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA).
“The purpose of this $50 million new initiative is to identify ways to provide more efficient, affordable, and accessible transportation services for people with disabilities, older adults, and other underserved communities that often face greater challenges in accessing essential services,” Chao said.
Chao announced up to $40 million would be made available for a Complete Trip Deployment solicitation. That money would go toward communities to highlight new business partnerships, technologies, and practices that promote expanded mobility goals. A further $5 million would go to a planned Inclusive Design Challenge, in the form of cash prizes for innovators that make automated vehicles more accessible. Finally, another $3.5 million would fund an initiative known as the FY 2020 Mobility for All Pilot Program, which aims to improve mobility options and access to community services for all.
These latest efforts build on accessibility-related research undertaken by the USDOT over the last three years. The department noted that over that time, investments in such research have increased by around 50 percent.