The Ray, a living transportation innovation laboratory along 18 miles of Interstate 85 in Georgia, has been finalized.
The public-private-philanthropic partnership, comprised of the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and The Ray, recently signed a charter.
The Ray is named after businessman Ray C. Anderson and is the brainchild of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation. It is an area for infrastructure and transportation research and testing.
“The Ray is a unique opportunity for Georgia DOT and the entire state to lead during a time of great innovation and change in transportation,” Lynn Westmoreland, State Transportation Board member, said. “This broad partnership is also an opportunity for Georgia to attract economic development, research and development, new jobs and tech start-ups in the transportation and infrastructure sectors.”
Since its inception, The Ray has demonstrated several technology and infrastructure projects including innovative land management solutions, the world’s first drive-over tire safety station, a solar-powered EV charging station, and the first solar road in the United States.
The Ray is defined in the charter as “a user-centered, open-innovation ecosystem that integrates concurrent research and innovation goals and processes within a partnership involving government, philanthropic, private sector and advanced technology organizations.”