U.S. Department of Transportation awards Sound Transit and Seattle Department of Transportation $2 million for safety improvements in Rainier Valley

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Sound Transit in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) a $2 million grant to enhance safety along the Link light rail corridor in the Rainier Valley. The Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grant will allow the agencies to plan, implement and evaluate new technologies to enhance safety for community members along Martin Luther King Jr Way South. 

“This grant is an important part of Sound Transit’s ongoing commitment to improve safety through the Rainier Valley,” said Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm. “New technologies have the promise of preventing potential conflicts that can save lives. We’re thankful to Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the U.S. Department of Transportation for recognizing the value of this project and to our congressional delegation for their support for this grant.”

“I’m thrilled to receive federal funding to support our joint effort with Sound Transit to improve safety around Link light rail in southeast Seattle communities,” said Seattle Department of Transportation Director Greg Spotts. “This federal grant accelerates one of the five Early Momentum Actions we announced last month when we released the Vision Zero ‘Top to Bottom Review.’”

Called Rainier Valley Safe, the project will evaluate a series of technologies to improve community safety. One technology, based on real-time video analytics and using artificial intelligence, would allow safety messages to be broadcast in real-time to bicyclists and pedestrians, connected vehicles, warning devices and advanced transportation controllers.

Battery backup systems installed for the traffic signals will keep people walking, rolling, biking, driving, and riding Link light rail moving safely through the intersections during power outages. Advanced pedestrian signals will be installed to provide touchless activation of the pedestrian signals. This technology will provide enhanced mobility features for people with disabilities to cross at intersections, including the ability to transmit push button locations to people’s handheld devices and wirelessly activate push button signals. 

The pilot phase of this project will provide insights on possible technologies the agencies can implement proactively on a broader scale and important data that can be used to inform further safety enhancements throughout the Rainier Valley. Sound Transit and SDOT are committed to protecting the traveling public’s privacy as part of this safety project.

Sound Transit is already planning and implementing a number of safety mitigations through the Rainier Valley. Last fall, the agency launched a pilot testing the efficacy of increased warning bells on light rail vehicles. Sound Transit and SDOT will be implementing a series of improvements along Martin Luther King Jr Way South to enhance safety for all travelers, which is outlined in the recent SDOT Vision Zero Top-to-Bottom review as near-term actions. Current and future projects include planning to install pavement markings this year and installing warning signs with dynamic messaging at signalized intersections alerting pedestrians to look both ways at crossings.

About the SMART Grants Program 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorized and appropriated $100 million annually for the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program. SMART funds state, local, and tribal governments to conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced smart city or community technologies and systems to improve transportation efficiency and safety. The program is structured in two stages, in which applicants initially seek Stage 1 Planning and Prototyping Grants. Selected projects are then eligible to apply for Stage 2 Implementation Grants.

To accomplish the objectives identified in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the SMART Grants Program will fund projects that focus on using technology interventions to solve real-world challenges facing communities today. The program funds purpose-driven innovation and discourages investment in technologies that do not provide a clear improvement over the status quo. SMART also focuses on building data and technology capacity and experience for state, local, and tribal governments. More information on SMART can be found here.