On Monday, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced it awarded nearly $1.4 million in grant money to six projects in six states.
The Real-Time Asset Management Program funding will be given to projects that support infrastructure innovation in the transit industry.
“These research grants will help improve transit operations and enhance safety for riders who use these systems every day,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.
Projects receiving funding will enhance asset management of infrastructure and safety, the department said, by providing real0time condition assessment of transit capital and facilities. The Real-Time Asset Management Program funds projects that transit agencies employ to assess, detect, monitor, and track deficiencies related to infrastructure and evaluate proposed solutions’ effectiveness and practicality.
“FTA is leveraging cutting-edge technology to better maintain our nation’s transit assets, which will improve safety for both riders and front-line workers,” said FTA Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams. “These innovative new designs will help transit systems maintain a state of good repair, which is particularly important during the COVID-19 public health emergency.”
Projects in Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah will receive money through the program.
Among the grant awards are $395,000 for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for a project that focuses on the installation of smart sensing modules that monitor the rail transit infrastructure and rolling stock; and $131,661 for the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County in partnership with the University of Nevada for a project that will monitor transit infrastructure in Reno, Nevada.