SMART News

Manchester, NH Mayor Jay Ruais, along with SMART Program Director Stan Caldwell, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Lee White, City of Manchester Traffic Engineer Kristen Clarke, and other local officials, officially kicked off the project. This initiative focuses on leveraging smart signal technology to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety.

Read More About the Manchester SMART Intersections Project.

SMART Director Stan Caldwell participated in a policy session panel titled “Federal Automated Programs” at the 2026 SAE Automated Transportation Symposium in San Diego, California. Caldwell highlighted SMART grants related to automation, including Sportran in Shreveport, Louisiana; SARTA in Canton, Ohio; and City of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas.

Stan Caldwell, Director of the SMART Grants Program, toured the Fremont Street Experience alongside City of Las Vegas officials Nicole Jolly (Engineering Project Manager), Ravi Seera (City Traffic Engineer), and Bill Wittwer (Assistant Transportation Manager). On-site crews installed communication infrastructure for a project demonstrating cutting-edge passive pedestrian detection—a system designed to enhance safety throughout this busy downtown entertainment district.

Stan Caldwell, SMART Program Director, spoke about the Nevada Department of Transportation I-80 Corridor SMART Grant project on the “Corridors in Motion” Panel at WASHTO 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

On July 15, 2026, the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R) hosted its fourth Annual SMART Grantee Summit for the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants program.

(Top Picture): From June 9 to June 12, 2026, SMART Grants Program Director, Stan Caldwell, with Thy Nguyen, Grants Management Lead, facilitated discussions on how SMART grants are enabling real-world innovations. They also stressed the importance of building partnerships between public agencies, private sector innovators, and community stakeholders to create safer, more connected transportation systems. A poster session contributed to the knowledge transfer and scalability of seven SMART Grant projects and their successes, challenges, and lessons learned.

(Bottom Picture): Awarded Smart Grant Projects from FY 22, FY 23 & FY24 joined the SMART Grant presentation by showcasing their project posters during discussions. Participating entities included: Chicago Department of Transportation, The City of Alexandria, The City of Bellevue, Michigan Department of Transportation, Indiana Department of Transportation, Nevada Department of Transportation, and the Road Commission for Oakland County.

Director of the SMART Grants Program, Stan Caldwell, joins Morning Edition to discuss a new, first-of-its-kind avalanche detection system funded through a partnership between the Alaska State DOT and the SMART Grants Program. Watch Caldwell's Alaska News Source interview.

On March 23, 2026, U.S. DOT’s Dov Schwartz (Communications Officer), Stan Caldwell (Director, SMART Grants Program), & Alaska DOT & PF’s Tim Glassett (Avalanche & Artillery Program Manager) demonstrated revolutionizing technology in avalanche detection and prevention and implementing lifesaving safety measures for the traveling public along the Seward Highway in Anchorage, Alaska.

A collaborative effort between the City of Alexandria and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), funded through a SMART grant, is helping the City collect information about pavement conditions, traffic signs, lane markings, and more to improve the state of the roads. Learn more about Alexandria SmartScan vehicle technology.

Bernalillo County, New Mexico received a $2 million SMART grant to monitor trucks in real time and assess infrastructure and environmental conditions along the I-40 Tradeport Corridor. The project aims to connect freight movement from the Port of Los Angeles to multiple states. Read KOAT Action 7 News coverage on the I-40 Tradeport Corridor project.

The City of Charleston, South Carolina, received $1M in SMART funding to deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled adaptive traffic signals along one of Downtown Charleston's busiest corridors, Calhoun Street. The new AI-based traffic lights use sensors and cameras to monitor and adjust in real-time based on road conditions to reduce conflicts between vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. Learn more from Count On 2 News about Charleston AI traffic signals.

In Boston, Massachusetts, the Boston Curb Lab, an initiative of the City of Boston's Office of Emerging Technology, uses artificial intelligence, open data standards, and modern software to help Boston proactively manage curb space. The Boston Curb Lab builds tools that help staff make better decisions and give residents clearer, more reliable information. Read the City of Boston announcement on the Curb Lab initiative.

The Open Mobility Foundation published a report developed through a SMART grant, in which nine cities and one county piloted and developed new curb management technology and shared best practices with each other. The collaborative report reflects on achievements together and serves as a resource for those scaling curb management programs. Read the Open Mobility Foundation report takeaways.

Harris County, Texas is advancing a roadway flood warning system to detect floods and alert drivers funded through a SMART grant. These sensors are designed to give real-time data on roadway conditions that alert drivers attempting to navigate flooded areas. Read ABC13 Houston coverage on the flood warning system.

The City of Las Vegas, Nevada received $1.4M in federal funding to implement automated smart signals around Fremont Street, one of the city's most heavily trafficked corridors. Smart signals will recognize when pedestrians are waiting to cross, automatically adjusting traffic lights to allow more time and reduce dangerous interactions between pedestrians and vehicles. Read 8 News Now coverage on Las Vegas smart signals.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma received a $2 million SMART grant to expand access to healthcare across the reservation through advanced technology to make deliveries in hard-to-reach areas. Read KTEN News coverage on Choctaw Nation healthcare drone deliveries.

Thy Nguyen, SMART Team Lead, along with Raine Pike, Alfreda Johnson, and SMART Director Stan Caldwell, attended this year’s Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting held January 11–15, 2026. During the conference, the SMART Team welcomed visits from over 15 SMART grant recipients and partners at the OST-R booth and attended 8 sessions where grantees presented results and lessons learned.

Secretary Sean Duffy joined ARPA-I Ideas Challenge Stage 1 winners at USDOT headquarters in Washington, DC, for the Innovation Workshop (“Ideas Bootcamp”). SMART Director Stan Caldwell participated in the Bootcamp alongside SMART grantees and partners from the 15 winning teams.

SMART staff, including Alfreda Johnson, Raine Pike, Thy Nguyen, Stan Caldwell, and Melissa Wong from the Volpe Center, met in Washington, D.C. to plan SMART initiatives for 2026. The team met with subject matter experts, OST-R leadership including Seval Oz, Michael Halem, and Lee White, in addition to Assistant Secretary of Tribal Government Affairs, James Crawford.

TruWeather Solutions, in partnership with Hillwood, the City of Fort Worth, and the North Central Texas Council of Governments, announced the deployment of a comprehensive low-altitude weather data system in North Texas. This initiative supports the growth of next-generation transportation tech, ranging from drone delivery to autonomous trucking and eVTOL aircraft. Read Hillwood's press release on the low-altitude weather sensor network.