Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is sponsoring a challenge that will transform southwestern Pennsylvania into a testbed for mobility innovation, with up to US$300,000 awarded to projects in the region’s communities.
Municipalities within the 10-county Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) region are being encouraged to identify mobility needs affecting citizens and businesses and to apply for funds via a brief online form. Up to US$300,000 in awards will fund Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) faculty staff and students as they pilot smart technology projects to address the selected needs. Support for the challenge is provided by the Hillman Foundation and the USDOT University Transportation Program.
“I’m pleased to see this effort by CMU to bring groundbreaking research and technology to our region,” said US Rep. Bill Shuster. “As chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I’ve promoted the use of innovation to address our nation’s transportation challenges. This is a great example of how federal transportation research funding is directly addressing the needs of our region, by working with communities to improve mobility for people and our local industries.”
Traffic21 is a research institute in CMU’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. The Smart Mobility Challenge builds on Traffic21’s work with the City of Pittsburgh, a globally recognized smart city testbed, and will bring transportation innovations benefits to less densely populated communities.
Mobility21, Traffic21’s affiliated US Department of Transportation National University Transportation Center, is in CMU’s College of Engineering. Both Traffic21 and Mobility21 are sponsoring the Smart Mobility Challenge.
“College of Engineering researchers will engage with the community to deploy smart transportation technologies that will result in resilient, cost-effective transportation and infrastructure throughout the region,” said College of Engineering Dean James H Garrett Jr.
The deadline for applications is July 14, with awards to be announced in early September 2017.
Partners of the Smart Mobility Challenge include the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, the Regional Transportation Alliance of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and Department of Community and Economic Development.
