The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently announced it has opened the application period for $2 million in competitive grant funding through the Enhancing Mobility Innovation Program.
The program supports innovations that encourage people to use transit systems and accelerate the industry’s progress in adapting technology to improve access and onboard experiences.
“The Enhancing Mobility Innovation program supports transit agencies as they work to improve mobility, with a focus on how innovation can help improve service delivery and make buses, trains, and ferries easier to use and more attractive to riders,” FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said. “We are providing the seed money to help transit agencies test new innovations with a goal of deploying long-lasting solutions that create opportunities for people in their communities.”
The FTA encourages proposals that advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate goals and support the administration’s Justice40 initiative, providing investments that benefit disadvantaged communities.
As part of the evaluation process, FTA will consider the extent to which projects will provide air quality benefits, especially addressing poor air quality, and how projects will help promote racial equity and increase access to opportunity in underserved communities.
For software development projects, the FTA seeks cross-modal, adaptable platforms for demand-response transit service dispatched through riders’ mobile devices or other means.
The application period ends on Jan. 11.