FACT SHEET: Obama Administration Announces Columbus (OH) Winner of the $40 Million Smart City Challenge to Pioneer the Future of Transportation

Columbus (OH) is the winner out of 78 cities that accepted the challenge, will receive up to $40 million from the Department of Transportation to prototype the future of transportation s as part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to accelerate game-changing technologies from self-driving cars to smart traffic lights to vehicle to vehicle communications.

The Smart City Challenge called on cities to do more than merely introduce new technologies onto city streets. Rather, the Challenge called on mayors to boldly envision new solutions that change the very face of transportation in our cities by closing the gap between rich and poor; capturing the needs of both old and young; and through smart design, bridging the digital divide so that the future of transportation meets the needs of all city residents, not just those who are technology savvy. Columbus has been selected to receive up to $40 million from the Department of Transportation to carry out its Smart City Plan. Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan, Inc. will provide an additional $10 million to Columbus. And a range of national industry partners will provide the winning city with technology to help implement its plan, including NXP® Semiconductors, Amazon Web Services, Mobileye, Autodesk, Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs, AT&T, and DC Solar. In its Smart City plan, Columbus will leverage a new central connected traffic signal and integrated transportation data system to address specific transportation challenges faced in four districts across the city.