Members of the UTC Center for Urban Informatics and Progress team include: top row from left Dr. Mina Sartipi, Director of Operations/Chief Engineer Austin Harris, graduate students Mehdi Khaleghian and Yasir Hassan; bottom row from left, graduate students Sima Ashayar, Tuan Nguyen and Giang Do and Junior High Performance Computing Tech Patrick Bigelow. Photo by Angela Foster.
Pedestrian safety in Chattanooga is set to advance significantly thanks to a $2 million Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Earlier this month, officials from the City of Chattanooga and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga were notified that they are among the 34 recipients of a SMART “Planning and Prototyping Grant” from a pool of 321 applicants nationwide. Chattanooga is the sole city in Tennessee to receive a SMART grant this year.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the SMART grant program, appropriating $100 million annually for fiscal years 2022 through 2026. SMART grants support demonstration projects that employ advanced smart community technologies and systems to enhance transportation efficiency and safety.
In Chattanooga, the grant will fund the deployment of Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies at high-risk, mid-block crossings along two major corridors near downtown. These technologies will enable researchers to gather data that can inform recommendations for citywide street and road improvements. The initiative aims to create a safer, more efficient urban environment for all Chattanooga residents and visitors, regardless of their modes of transportation.
Since its inception in 2018, the UTC Center for Urban Informatics and Progress (CUIP) has focused on connected mobility projects and the application of smart city technologies to enhance safety. CUIP staff, in collaboration with industry partners such as ITS America, Audi, Qualcomm, Leidos and HARMAN, will administer this grant and coordinate the project.
“CUIP is immensely proud to lead this groundbreaking project alongside the City of Chattanooga and our esteemed partners,” said Dr. Mina Sartipi, founding director of CUIP. “This technology has the potential to fundamentally enhance the day-to-day experiences of pedestrians, motorists, public transit users and anyone who uses our streets and roads. We are grateful for this support from the U.S. Department of Transportation as we build a better, more connected future for everyone in Chattanooga.”
“We are excited to join the City of Chattanooga on their SMART grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation,” said ITS America President and CEO Laura Chace. “This team is uniquely positioned to develop new resources in conjunction with this project that will help others scale C-V2X deployment across the country to make our communities safer. We will be documenting best practices and outcomes to show the benefits of deploying these technologies, creating resources that will be useful for other communities across the country, and facilitating coordination of this partnership throughout the implementation of the grant to advance deployment of this vital technology to ensure future progress builds off what we learn here.”
“Audi and Volkswagen Group of America are eager to roll up the shirt sleeves and begin the work needed to realize Chattanooga’s goal of delivering the most connected traffic environment in America,” said Audi Government Affairs Director Brad Stertz. “True public-private partnership was the foundation of Chattanooga’s winning application for federal grant funding, and it will be the North Star of this effort’s eventual success.”
“We are thrilled to be part of the City of Chattanooga’s SMART project, which will utilize C-V2X to address mid-block safety of vulnerable road users,” said Qualcomm Technologies Senior Director for Product Management Jim Misener. “This is an essential early use of C-V2X to combat the epidemic of vulnerable road user fatalities in the US. This use of C-V2X can now start with a deployment in Chattanooga, then be readily deployed across the rest of the nation. We thank USDOT for recognizing C-V2X as an important SMART technology for improving roadway safety.”
“Leidos stands at the forefront of national leadership in Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) and Cooperative Driving Automation (CDA) development and testing,” said Dr. Osama A. Osman of Leidos. “We are thrilled to harness our expertise and enthusiasm to contribute to a SMART grant aimed at revolutionizing transportation safety and operations through interoperable connectivity. Together, we pave the way for a smarter, safer future on the roads. Innovation drives our passion at Leidos, and we are honored to be part of the SMART grant initiative, leveraging our proficiency in V2X/CDA technology. By integrating interoperable connectivity, we are poised to elevate transportation safety and efficiency, making strides toward a more connected and intelligent transportation ecosystem.”
“HARMAN is very pleased to partner with the City of Chattanooga on this important roadway safety project powered by U.S. DOT’s SMART grant program,” said HARMAN Global Vice President of Automotive Connectivity Portfolio Management Suman Sehra. “This initiative fosters collective intelligence throughout the automotive and intelligent transportation value chain, establishing a blueprint for industry-government collaboration aimed at bolstering safety for users of American roads.”
For more information on CUIP, visit UTC.edu/research/center-urban-informatics-and-progress.
