The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced Wednesday it had awarded more than $52 million in Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) grants.
The grants will fund projects in eight states that improve the travel experience, focusing on expanding the eligibility for projects in communities that have previously lacked investment, like areas of persistent poverty or rural areas.
“Your zip code shouldn’t determine whether you have access to safe, affordable transportation,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “With President Biden’s investments in innovative technology, we’re helping communities make transportation safer and more efficient, particularly in places that haven’t received enough resources in the past.”
The program, part of President Joe Biden’s Investing in America program and funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will allow communities to improve safety and reduce travel time for drivers and transit riders by using advanced technology.
“These grants will help deliver a more leading-edge transportation system designed to reach everyone and to work for everyone, especially those in communities that have lacked access to efficient transportation,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt. “Whether we’re addressing climate change, or making roads safer, President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is bringing critical solutions to the communities we serve.”
Among the awardees were Mohave County, Ariz., which received $1 million to deploy 50 vehicle-to-infrastructure traffic control sign systems in rural areas of the county to target high-speed highway segments for improved safety; the Delaware Department of Transportation, which received $5 million to improve safety in rural Sussex County by optimizing transportation systems before and during flood events; and the Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation, which will receive $9.3 million to expand current a free on-demand automated micro-transit service in Grand Rapids, that will make the service more reliable, convenient and accessible in rural communities.