The 12 finalists for the Austin City:One challenge were recently chosen by the contest steering committee, opening a $100,000 opportunity for them to test and deploy mobility improvement proposals in Austin, Texas.
Each finalist will meet with community innovation and equity mentors to whip up a final draft of their ideas before resubmitting them to Austin Transportation in January. Their efforts are part of a partnership program between Ford Mobility and Austin Transportation’s Smart Mobility Office to identify barriers to healthy living in the city and help support long-term transportation improvements therein.
The partners also want to make sure everyone benefits from these proposals. As such, not only will finalists have to engage with their mentors and in tours of an area neighborhood, they will also have to participate in a racial equity training program. The goal is to guarantee that the right proposal comes from those who understand Austin’s history, its challenges, and the best potential to foster local racial equity.
The 12 finalists were chosen from a stack of more than 150 proposals. Those chosen were picked out by a committee that included representatives from Austin’s Equity Office, Austin Tech Alliance, Saint David’s Healthcare, Central Health, CommUnity Care, Austin Public Health, Seton, Housing Authority of the City of Austin, Transit Empowerment Fund and Austin Technology Incubator. Representatives from AT&T, Dell Technologies, and Microsoft also reviewed proposals.