Dive Brief:
Three research projects have received federal grant money from both the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to improve the energy efficiency and affordability of public transit systems through the advancement of “innovative vehicle technologies” and data.

The projects from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Chattanooga Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) and Utah State University (USU) each received $1.75 million in joint funding from the DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) and USDOT’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

Researchers at MIT will look to develop a transit-centric Smart Mobility System to help agencies create short-term operating plans and adaptable real-time control strategies. CARTA will also develop a software platform using artificial intelligence (AI) to integrate fixed-route transportation with on-demand services and paratransit and determine where best to deploy electric buses. And USU aims to develop tools for planning and operations to help the large-scale electrification of bus fleets.
More>>