$40M Connected Vehicle Technologies Grant Enhances Road Safety, Efficiency

The Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration has opened a new $40 million grant opportunity to accelerate connected vehicle technology development and uptake in the nation.

The grant, Saving Lives with Connectivity: Accelerating V2X Deployment, has a particular focus on enhancing road safety and efficiency through vehicle-to-everything or V2X communication. 

Such systems connect multiple wireless technologies including mobile, in-vehicle and roadside devices and allow alerts to be communicated across devices, warning drivers in real time of potential dangers such as “alerts related to intersections, red lights, curve speeds and roadway departures."

V2X comes as part of the DOT’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, an initiative to tackle roadway deaths that was launched last January. 

“We can and must use all the tools at our disposal to reduce the devastating loss of life on our nation’s roadways, and technology has a big role to play in that effort,” said Pete Buttigieg, transportation secretary. “Connected vehicle technology has the potential to save lives, and we are proud to provide this funding to help accelerate its development.”

The DOT is set to announce a draft V2X Deployment Plan in the coming weeks, seeking stakeholder feedback to assess sentiment on the plan to deploy these technologies. The draft will be open for public comment up until its completion early next year.

The goal of the grant, according to a DOT statement, is to “asses … risks, overcome challenges and mitigate key uncertainties” to facilitate wide-scale deployment of connected technologies in the U.S., targeting a nationwide connectivity strategy.

“V2X connectivity is a critical transformational technology that not only advances safety but also enhances mobility and efficiency,” said Shailen Bhatt, FHWA administrator.  “Accelerating V2X deployment now is a crucial step toward saving lives with connectivity. We’re working to make sure that no matter where you drive, truly reliable and seamless connectivity will be in place.”