Press Release  MassDOT Applies for $5.5 Million Total In Fiscal Year 2023 SMART Grant Funding

Boston — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has submitted three grant applications totaling almost $5.5 million in additional federal funding from the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grants program. The program was established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and provides grants focused on advanced smart community technologies and systems to improve transportation efficiency and safety.  

The grant applications have been prepared in consultation with the Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office (FFIO) and are being filed by MassDOT’s Rail and Transit Division and Aeronautics Division. 

“The SMART grants program offers a tremendous opportunity for MassDOT to invest in new and innovative approaches to existing operational challenges,” said Acting Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “These proposals will help to implement creative solutions to existing safety and access issues. We’re grateful to the Biden Administration and our Congressional delegation for their efforts to make funding like this available for states.”  

The Rail and Transit Division has submitted a $1.32 million dollar proposal to monitor trespassing on railroad corridors, using artificial intelligence and edge computing while also actively warning trespassers using advanced sensors and dynamic signs. The use of this technology will combat current issues such as a high false alarm rate, high data communication demand, and the lack of a dynamic warning system.  

“We’re always striving to innovate wherever possible, especially when it comes to safety and security,” said Rail and Transit Administrator Meredith Slesinger. “This grant would assist us in continuing our proactive work to improve safety on rail corridors with the use of new technologies.”  

The Aeronautics Division has submitted two SMART grant applications, one is a nearly $2 million SMART grant application to develop a system for the use of drones in monitoring vegetation and weather-related hazards along MBTA Commuter Rail lines. The proposed project will develop and test a system for flying drones to collect aerial data to monitor, analyze, and forecast vegetation encroachment and weather-related hazards impacting the Lowell and Haverhill Commuter line, improving safety while increasing rail track management efficiency and rail service reliability. 

A second Aeronautics Division SMART grant application asks for nearly $2 million to develop a drone medical delivery system for home-based healthcare. The project will leverage the expertise of the Aeronautics Division’s Drone Operations Program to create a novel drone medical delivery system enabling MassDOT to efficiently and cost-effectively help meet the healthcare needs of homebound residents, especially seniors and members of disadvantaged communities. 

“Whether it’s using technology to reach some of our most vulnerable residents or identifying potential issues before they impede safety and service, we want to continue to be leaders in the field,” said Aeronautics Administrator Jeffrey DeCarlo. “We look forward to building on our past successes with the SMART program.”  

The SMART program is open to eligible public sector agencies and is used to carry out projects that demonstrate attributes such as coordinated automation, sensors, systems integration, or innovation in aviation. Proposals are encouraged to target real-world challenges where the use of new technologies and approaches can create benefits.  

"These projects all leverage Massachusetts’ strength as a hub for innovation,” said Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure Quentin Palfrey. "The applications to the SMART grant program are an important part of our whole-of-government approach to compete for the historic federal investments made by the Biden administration in the future of transportation, energy, technology, and more."

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