One mid-size city in the country will be eligible to receive up to $50 million for the best plan to transform its transportation system with technology to make travel safer and cleaner.
announced the Safe City Challenge on Monday. The challenge will include the grand prize of $40 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation and $10 million from the Paul Allen-owned Vulcan Inc.
The goal is for cities between 200,000 and 850,00 residents to devise the best plan to use data, technology and creativity and incorporate that into a transportation system of the future that will impact greenhouse gases.
The program piggy backs on the USDOT’s Beyond Traffic draft report released this year that showed the country’s aging infrastructure isn’t equipped to deal with expected future growth, the USDOT said in a news release.
Foxx said the United States is expected to see 70 million more people over the next 30 years and cities will need new and innovated ways to move people and goods.
“Now we turn to the local level,” Foxx said Monday in a conference call. “Ultimately, it’s the best lab we have for emerging technology and innovation where it is most needed, at the local level.”
Proposals are being accepted until Feb. 4, 2016, with five finalists narrowed down by May and the winner announced next June. To learn more about the competition, . Outreach to cities that may qualify will get underway.
“There are few challenges more urgent than climate change,” said Barbara Bennett, president and chief operating officer of Vulcan Inc.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175, cillescas@denverpost.com or @cillescasdp
