FTA: $5.1M available for research into transit digital construction management tools

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On Friday, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced approximately $5.1 million in grant funding was available to research digital construction management tools for transit construction projects.

The FTA’s Accelerating Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems program will support field-tested digital platforms that can deliver transit projects faster and cheaper. The new research grants will fund projects that demonstrate advanced digital construction tools that can improve the management of those construction projects, officials said.

“We’re proud to support construction technology that helps communities build transit projects more quickly,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “This new initiative is another way the Biden Administration is helping agencies deliver infrastructure improvements on-time, on-task, and on-budget.”

Funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the grants will look at the potential for the digital management systems to improve how transit agencies deliver capital projects by providing platforms that track all phases of a transit project’s construction. Eligible applicants include transit agencies, private organizations, state and local government entities, and academic institutions, the agency said. Projects should identify and demonstrate at least two digital construction management systems and work with transit agencies to document best practices for used the systems to manage transit construction projects.

“Our goal is to help agencies deliver projects on time and under budget,” FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said. “This grant will help us do just that. These advanced platforms are all about efficiency and provide comprehensive tools that will allow transit agencies to complete projects more seamlessly.”