Hoping not only to improve transportation options and lower infant mortality rates in disadvantaged communities but also to serve as a case study for other cities, Columbus, Ohio, has won a $40-million grant from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge. It also will receive $10 million from Vulcan Inc., the Seattle-based investment firm led by Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen.
The city edged out 77 initial applicants and six other finalists—Austin; Denver; Kansas City, Mo.; Pittsburgh; Portland, Ore.; and San Francisco. “Columbus put forward an impressive, holistic vision,” said U.S. DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx in a June 23 press call. The city will build a new bus rapid-transit system, mobility kiosks, motion-sensitive LED street lights, self-driving shuttles and a new transit center, among other projects. It also will deploy connected-vehicle technology.