Field of 77 Cities Vies for DOT’s Smart City Challenge Honors

Seventy-seven cities applied for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Feb. 8.

“I issued this challenge in December, and, quite frankly, we are very impressed by the response by community leaders across the country. Cities understand that in order to plan for tomorrow, they need to embrace technology and innovation,” Foxx said. “This challenge is going to do more than just help one city adopt innovative ideas. Instead, it will serve as a catalyst for widespread change in communities across America.”

The city selected will receive up to $40 million from the department to implement data-driven ideas meant to improve mobility. Five finalists will be announced March 12. (See the applicant list.)

DOT recently launched the Smart City Challenge to address trends identified in last year’s "Beyond Traffic" draft report. According to the report, the country’s aging infrastructure is not prepared to handle the rapidly growing population.

The winner of #DOTSmartCity Chalenge will be a catalyst for widespread change https://t.co/Y2d8vUjJxU pic.twitter.com/mKjU209A6d — Anthony Foxx (@SecretaryFoxx) February 8, 2016