The contracts are a part of USDOT's Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative to improve mobility options for all travelers, particularly those with disabilities. Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation
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The contracts are a part of USDOT's Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative to improve mobility options for all travelers, particularly those with disabilities. Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation
The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) awarded six application development research contracts, totaling $6.185 million for a period of performance through 2019.
The contracts are a part of U.S. DOT's Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI) to improve mobility options for all travelers, particularly those with disabilities. ATTRI is a multimodal departmental effort geared toward identifying and developing transformative transportation applications for all disabilities.
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U.S. DOT reviewed a total of 34 proposals and granted the awards in three application technology areas — wayfinding and navigation, pre-trip and concierge services, and safe intersection crossing.
City College of New York – Awarded $631,000 for Smart Cane for Assistive Navigation integrated with a smart phone application.
AbleLink Smart Living Technologies – Awarded $923,721 for a new open wayfinding media standard and infrastructure to support the creation of geographically-specific cloud-based libraries of routes that adhere to the SMART standard for users in different metropolitan or rural areas.
Pathway Accessibility Solutions – Awarded $913,389 for developing a wayfinding tool for wheelchair users and people with visual impairment that provides routes tailored to the user’s preferences.
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TRX Systems – Awarded $889,101 for a smart wayfinding and navigation system to obtain real-time location, en-route assistance, and situational awareness.
Pre-Trip and Concierge Services:
AbleLink – Awarded $828,154 for developing suite of assessment, self-directed learning, and trip execution technologies to support independent travel for individuals with cognitive disabilities.
Safe Intersection Crossing:
Carnegie Mellon University – Awarded $2 million for connecting pedestrian travelers with disabilities to the traffic signal systems (and by extension to nearby connected vehicles and infrastructure), and using connectivity to develop assistive services for safe intersection crossing and increased independent mobility.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
