US Secretary of Transportation announces grants to accelerate development of Autonomous Driving

US Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced nearly $60 million in federal grant funding to eight projects in seven states to test the safe integration of automated driving systems (ADS) on American roadways.

These grants aim to gather significant safety data to inform rulemaking and foster collaboration amongst state and local government and private partners.

“The Department is awarding $60 million in grant funding to test the safe integration of automated vehicles into America's transportation system while ensuring that legitimate concerns about safety, security, and privacy are addressed,” said Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

Secretary Chao made the announcement at the Federal Highway Administration Research Showcase, an event promoting the importance of research and innovation in transportation. The event features exhibits and demonstrations of the ongoing research, emerging technologies, and capabilities of the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Centre.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) Transportation Institute received the maximum grant of $15 million. Other projects that received grants include Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), University of Iowa, Ohio Department of Transportation (DOT) (through DriveOhio), Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, City of Detroit, MI and Contra Costa Transportation Authority, CA.

The US Department of Transportation's (DOT) top priority is safety. Automation offers the potential to improve safety for vehicle operators, occupants, and other travelers sharing the road. To address this potential, DOT solicited applications through the Notice of Funding Opportunity for ADS Demonstration Grants, highlighting key goals for safety, data for safety analysis and rulemaking, and collaboration.