Private companies are lining up behind San Francisco’s bid to win the US Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge grant, pledging more than $150 million worth of in-kind support if San Francisco wins the competition to build the country’s first “smart” transportation system.
The private in-kind contributions that have been offered if San Francisco wins the challenge – including software, hardware or research-and development work – would quadruple the $50 million investment available through the Smart City Challenge. USDOT is providing up to $40 million for the winning city, and another $10 million would come from Paul Allen’s firm Vulcan.
San Francisco is one of seven finalists vying to be the first to develop “the most innovative, forward-thinking plan to harness technology and re-imagine how people move.” This month, which USDOT has declared Innovation Month, the finalist cities will present their proposals to federal transportation officials in Washington D.C. A winner will be selected later this summer.
Our "Smart City" vision includes hubs that help seamlessly connect transportation options like transit, bike-share and electric self-driving vehicles.
About 70 companies, including Ford Motor Co., autonomous vehicle designer Zoox, and self-driving technology company Optimus Ride, have offered to support San Francisco’s vision with technological resources if the city is chosen as the winner.
The SFMTA is leading San Francisco’s plan to harness emerging technological innovations, like self-driving cars and connected vehicles, to make transportation smarter and more equitable. We’re building towards a vision where green, convenient self-driving vehicles that are affordable and accessible for everyone can quickly whisk you to a nearby destination or connect you with transit for a longer trip.
Our proposal includes a series of pilot programs to figure out what works – and what doesn’t – to move us toward a future where shared options link everyone easily, safely and affordably to where they need to go.
To help develop these ideas, we plan to partner with the USDOT, private industry, our communities and some of the brightest minds in academia, including mobility and data experts from UC Berkeley. Berkeley’s expertise will allow us to measure, test and then share what we learn with the country and the world. We were honored to share those ideas with U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and his team here at City Hall last month.
See more details on our Smart City plans at SmartCitySF.com and be sure to weigh in with our survey.