The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded a grant to the Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (Kent, Ohio), the Trapeze Group, Geauga County Transit (Chardon, Ohio) and Kotting Consultants, for the design of a coordinated regional intelligent transportation system (ITS) to help improve transportation services for senior citizens and people with disabilities. The project consists of two phases; the system design of a central travel management coordination center using new transportation management technology designed specifically to coordinate agencies, as well as model deployment. At the end of Phase 1, the DOT will evaluate the project and determine eligibility for deployment funding in Phase 2. Phase 1 of the project begins with a two-day kick-off meeting in Washington, D.C. in March.