(The Center Square) – Michigan snagged $7 million for four projects in the first round of Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The SMART grant program, appropriated $100 million annually for fiscal years 2022-2026, funds projects focused on advancing smart community technologies and transportation systems.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer welcomed the grants.
“In Michigan, we are committed to leading the future of mobility and electrification, building on our reputation as the place that put the world on wheels,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Today’s funding will help us advance technological innovations, optimize data, and build on statewide transportation accessibility, safety, and efficiency. Together, we will continue growing our economy and competing for every resource to come home to Michigan.”
Michigan has been awarded funding for four projects listed below.
City of Detroit – Detroit Mobility Optimization through Data for Equity and Safety – $2 million.
- This project will create smart intersections by leveraging the existing traffic camera network and deploying AI software solutions. These innovations aim to predict and prevent traffic accidents in Detroit, ensuring safer roadways for all.
Michigan Department of Transportation – Advancing Rural Mobility: Michigan Public Transit Open Data Standards Program – $1.3 million.
- By leveraging open standard data, this project will make real-time public transit information accessible in rural Michigan, enhancing transportation options for residents in these areas.
Michigan Department of Transportation – Blue Water Bridge International Smart Freight Corridor – $1.8 million.
- This initiative will implement a proof of concept for a smart corridor for truck borne goods movement across Port Huron, Michigan’s Blue Water Bridge at the U.S.-Canadian border, improving trade and border crossing efficiency.
Road Commission for Oakland County – Leading in Sustainable Safety with V2X technology in Oakland County, Michigan – $2 million.
- This project will create a framework for deploying cellular vehicle-to-everything technology sustainably, enhancing safety and communication between vehicles and infrastructure.
Tim Slusser, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s chief of mobility innovation, celebrated the grants.
“The US Department of Transportation has made it clear that diversity, equity and inclusion is important by funding the Detroit Mobility Optimization through Data for Equity and Safety (Detroit MODES) project,” Slusser said in a statement. “Detroit has the country’s highest concentration of Black Americans (80%) for large cities and consistently ranks near the top of major metropolitan areas with the highest rates of traffic fatalities. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to fundamentally change how we approach roadway safety with real-time data driving towards equitable outcomes.”
Michigan had the second-highest number of projects funded and received the third most total funding in the nation behind California and New York.
“The fact that four Michigan projects received funding – the second-highest number in the country – is a testament to Michigan’s innovative approach to transportation solutions,” Michigan’s Chief Infrastructure Officer Zachary Kolodin said in a statement. “Deploying smart tech on our roads and bridges will make getting around safer and movement of goods faster, creating good, high-paying jobs.”
