AASHTO Journal - USDOT Offers $60M in Grants to Test Automated Driving Systems

Up to $60 million in federal grant monies is being offered by the U.S. Department of Transportation to fund projects aimed at testing what the agency calls the “safe integration” of automated driving systems or ADS technology with the country’s road network.

[Above photo by Ford Motor Co.]

USDOT said in a statement on Dec. 21 that this $60 million in grant money “aims to gather significant safety data to inform rulemaking, foster collaboration among state and local government and private partners, and test the safe integration of ADS on our nation’s roads.” Grant applications are due in 90 days and must be submitted through www.grants.gov, the agency said, with grant awards to be announced in the spring of 2019.

[Editor’s note: Siemens PLC is one firm that believes autonomous vehicles need significant test mileage before the technology can be considered validated – on the order of 8.8 billion miles to be exact.]

To provide additional information on the ADS demonstration grants, USDOT plans to host an “informational webinar” on Jan. 8. Meanwhile, more information about the ADS Demonstrations Grants is available on www.transportation.gov/av/grants, the agency said, which includes contact information, frequently asked questions or FAQs, and link to the NOFO on www.Grants.gov – a website that, due to the ongoing partial federal government shutdown, remains in operational status only.