On Monday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced it had awarded nearly $3 million to Florida A&M University for a Mobility Equity Research Center.
The $2.97 million will fund the establishment of the new center, Advancing Community-Centric Equitable Systems and Solutions in Mobility (ACCESS-M) as part of a cooperative agreement with the DOT. The center will support the DOT’s goal of expanding accessibility and mobility to underserved communities, officials said.
“Mobility and accessibility are at the core of good transportation—and the Biden-Harris Administration is making sure that’s true for people of every age, ability, and location,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “The funding we’re announcing today will help develop solutions to improve mobility and accessibility in communities across the country.”
The new center will advance research and technologies to improve transportation and infrastructure for historically underserved communities, including people with disabilities, older Americans, Tribal Nations, and rural and disadvantaged communities
The new Center will advance research and technologies to improve transportation and infrastructure for historically underserved communities through a three-pronged core research approach of policy, technology, and operation.
“Now is the time to ensure our research and technology investments are put to work to better serve the communities who need it most,” Dr. Robert C. Hampshire, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology and Chief Science Officer said. “This award will drive innovation to tackle the nation’s inequities in transportation access.”
The center will also include partner institutions, including Arizona State University, Florida State University, Southern Methodist University, and the University of Utah.