The US Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have awarded more than $1.83 million in innovative technology grants to Ohio's NEORide to improve mobility and multimodal connections for Ohioans.   

Of these, a $1.49 million Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment (ATCMTD) grant has been awarded to Ohio's NEORide EZ Connect project. CSU's Levin College of Public Affairs and Education' (Levin) will complete all research components related to the EZConnect project. EZConnect will build on NEORide's integrated mobility initiative and allow transit agencies in Ohio to collaborate in ways they have never before. By offering real-time open data exchange, NEORide will empower transit agencies to collaborate on client management and coordinate schedules based on customer profiles and eligibility information, trip requests and booking confirmations, provider and vehicle information, and trip performance status.  

The project is led by Dr. Robert (Roby) A. Simons, Chair and Professor in Levin's Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs, and was one of only ten ATCMTD grants awarded by the FHWA. Projects selected include those that utilize advanced intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technologies to improve mobility and safety, reduce congestion, and support underserved communities. Researchers will study transportation equity and mobility. 

"With these grants, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping communities deliver modern transportation systems that connect people to where they want to go more affordably, efficiently, and safely,” said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "We're pleased to support these innovative solutions that will improve driving and public transit for Americans in urban, suburban, and rural areas alike.” 

Read More. 

• https://highways.dot.gov/newsroom/biden-administration-awards-492-million-innovative-technology-grants-improve-mobility-and 
• https://highways.dot.gov/newsroom/us-department-transportation-awards-183-million-ohios-neoride-improve-access-transit