The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has $7 million in grants available to support efforts that enhance the safety of transit workers and passengers.
The grants are funded through the Safety Research & Demonstration (SRD) Program and help fund research on new technologies and safer vehicle designs to reduce the potential for accidents.
"With these new grants, FTA is funding research on cutting-edge technologies to improve the performance of public transportation, making a safe mode of travel even safer for passengers, as well as those who keep the trains and buses running," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
The SRD Program provides technical and financial support for transit agencies to pursue new approaches to avoid safety hazards, including exploring technologies that prevent collisions, as well as those that protect transit bus operators from assault.
"The research we are funding will not only highlight new ways to ensure safety throughout our public transportation systems, but it is also intended to improve the safety culture at transit agencies," said FTA Acting Administrator Carolyn Flowers. "We believe this grant opportunity will lead the way on developing technological innovations and design modifications in areas of critical safety needs, particularly for bus operators."
FTA grantees, such as public transportation agencies and state departments of transportation are eligible to apply and are encouraged to partner with for-profit companies, nonprofit organizations and other state or local entities. Applications are due by Oct. 14, 2016.
The SRD program is one of FTA's public transportation innovation programs authorized under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which established requirements to improve the safety of public transportation systems nationwide.
The 2016 funding opportunity is the latest round of grants promoting transit safety through new technologies. In 2015, FTA provided $29 million to 13 organizations for research as part of Innovative Safety, Resiliency and All-Hazards Emergency Response and Recovery Demonstration funding.