WASHINGTON — Five rail-related projects are among those selected for funding under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation, or SMART, grant program announced last week by the U.S. DOT.
A total of 34 projects in 22 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico received grants totaling $54 million under the program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grants fund demonstration projects for advanced technologies intended to improve transportation efficiency and safety in one of eight areas, as described on the SMART 2023 page on the DOT website.
Rail-related projects receiving awards include:
— $2 million to LA Metro to upgrade rail crossing gate detectors with wireless technology and improve detection of pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists;
— $2 million to Bay Area Rapid Transit for digital wayfinding aids and station facility information;
— $1.3 million to the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink) to deploy artificial-intelligence track intrusion detection, paired with positive train control, on a 1.5-mile stretch of track in a dense urban area, further described here;
— $1.625 million to NJ Transit to install AI video analytics to improve detection and safety at light rail grade crossings, further described here;
— $2 million to New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority for an automated railcar inspection system on the Metro-North Railroad, further described here.
The full list of grant recipients is available here.
— Updated April 1 with link to NJ Transit press release on AI grade crossing project; updated April 10 with link to Metrolink press release on track intrusion project.
More hidden subsidies over and above capital and operating subsidies.