Miami-Dade County awarded nearly $2 million toward Safer Streets projects

Recently, Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) received $1.98 million for infrastructure projects through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant program. The funds will be used to conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced smart community technologies and systems, in order to improve transportation efficiency and safety in Miami-Dade County.

In collaboration with Open Mobility Foundation (OMF), CityFi, the Bloomberg Center for Cites at Harvard’s Kennedy School (HKS), Urban Health Partnerships (UHP), and Blue Systems, DTPW submitted a demonstration project proposal for the integration of a MicroFreight approach for Safer Streets in Downtown Miami and portions of Overtown Miami in November 2022.

“This grant award is a strong vote of confidence from Washington, as we work to build a healthier, more resilient and future ready Miami-Dade County,” said County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “We’re grateful for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s continued prioritization of safety and sustainability throughout our nation’s mobility network. With this investment, Miami-Dade will continue to work on emerging vehicle technology that can dramatically scale up safe, zero-emission, last-mile freight and goods deliveries.”

Expected to start in 2024, the project will introduce MicroFreight Commons platform of integrated data, networked sensors, digital infrastructure, new vehicle technology, and innovative infrastructure.

“This is a major step forward in our commitment to our new strategy focusing on delivering cleaner, safer, more efficient and better-connected mobility for the residents, businesses and visitors of Miami-Dade County,” said DTPW Director and CEO Eulois Cleckley. “With this investment, we will leverage innovative solutions to improve last-mile delivery services, reduce impacts to road traffic and the environment, and develop proactive management and policy making. We thank Knight Foundation for its support on this grant award.”

As part of the proposed project, DTPW will work with partners and stakeholders to develop a multi-tier system of cargo-bikes complemented with strategically located cargo-storing hubs, combined with digital infrastructure that maps and communicates data-driven policies such as preferred corridors, designated parking zones, and maximum idle time.

The SMART grant is a discretionary program established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) with $100 million appropriated annually for fiscal years 2022-2026. In total, the US Department of Transportation which awarded $94 million in grants to 59 projects across 33 states through the first round of funding.

The County’s demonstration project application was selected among 392 applications to the SMART grants program for FY22. The average amount of funding requested was $1,541,154. Miami-Dade County has been awarded by the USDOT Research and Technology Program $1,985,000 for the deployment of the proposed innovative mobility solution.

Thanks to this grant, cities across the United States will have the funding needed to build data and technology capacity – a critical part of creating safer, more equitable, and environmentally sustainable transportation systems.

Organized by the Open Mobility Foundation, this collective of OMF member cities, including Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Miami-Dade County is committed to tackling a common problem with similar technologies – specifically to digitally gather and analyze curb information to reduce congestion, enhance livability, and improve safety and equity on city streets.

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