USDOT Announces $10.9 Million Grant for Advanced Transportation Technologies in San Francisco

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today announced a $10.9 million grant for San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) for a variety of intelligent systems technologies (ITS) that will help relieve congestion, improve travel options and improve safety for commuters, including pedestrians and bicyclists.
“Transportation is not just about moving from one place to another—it’s about building stronger communities,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. “This grant offers the people of San Francisco better access to jobs, education and array of essential services to improve the quality of life.” SFMTA received the $10.9 grant under FHWA’s Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment (ATCMTD) program and will use the funds to encourage ridesharing and carpooling by creating dynamic pickup curbs, which reserve spaces for drop-offs and pick-ups by time of day for these vehicles. It will also set up regional carpool lanes to speed up travel time and provide incentives for carpooling.The funding will also go toward making intersections safer and more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists in the city’s neediest communities by deploying smart connected traffic signals, which will also provide signal preference to priority vehicles, such as emergency and public transit. In addition, San Francisco will deploy a connected tolling system that implements congestion pricing to encourage carpooling and ridesharing and public transit ridership. It will also expand automated shuttle service those wishing to access Treasure Island through public transit.