Caltrans will receive more than $7 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation for its Southern California Mobility Wallet project in Los Angeles County, it was announced Thursday.
It is part of $52 million in grants from the Federal Highway Administration from the Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) program. The Mobility Wallet project is to create open-loop payments technology to offer seamless payment to highway and transit services. The $7,722,948 project will provide services in areas of persistent poverty and disadvantaged communities.
“Your ZIP code shouldn’t determine whether you have access to safe, affordable transportation,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “With President Biden’s investments in innovative technology, we’re helping communities make transportation safer and more efficient, particularly in places that haven’t received enough resources in the past.”
The grants are meant to fund technology-based solutions that improve the travel experience for millions of Americans who use highway and transit systems.
“These grants will help deliver a more leading-edge transportation system designed to reach everyone and to work for everyone, especially those in communities that have lacked access to efficient transportation,” Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt said. “Whether we’re addressing climate change, or making roads safer, President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is bringing critical solutions to the communities we serve.”