Brown Announces $650,000 for Columbus Health Centers for Substance Abuse Services

Press Release

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that Columbus was named one of seven finalists for the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Smart City Challenge, a competition that will award the winning city with $40 million to develop a first-of-its-kind transportation network. Brown -- who serves as ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, which oversees funding for DOT -- urged DOT Sec. Anthony Foxx to select the City of Columbus as the winner of the challenge.

"I applaud the City of Columbus, COTA, MORPC, Columbus 2020, and all the partners for being selected as a finalist in this competition," Brown said. "Today's news shows that the Department of Transportation recognizes the city's unique strengths -- a skilled and diverse workforce, state-of-the-art research institutions, strong-public-private partnerships, and leaderships -- which will help this project succeed.

"With its long legacy of innovation and commitment to developing new technology, Columbus is the best choice for the Smart City Challenge," Brown continued. "The City of Columbus' Smart City Plan would enhance transportation service by increasing access to jobs, linking neighborhoods, and improving real-time information in a sustainable, safe way. This funding would help the city realize its vision to "be a community that provides beauty, prosperity, and health for all of its citizens.'"

In December 2015, DOT announced the Smart City Challenge, a competition designed to help one city develop a fully-integrated transportation network using data and technology to connect communities and move people and goods more efficiently. The City of Columbus partnered with the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), Columbus 2020, Experience Columbus, and local stakeholders to submit an application to DOT earlier this year. Through Columbus' new Smart City Program Office, additional partners, including the Ohio State University, Battelle, IBM and Clean Fuels Ohio will assist the City with achieving its Smart City vision.

The City of Columbus -- along with six other semifinalists including: Austin, TX; Denver, CO; Kansas City, MO; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; and San Francisco, CA -- will receive $100,000 to develop its final Smart City proposals, due in May 2016. In addition to the $40 million award, the winning city will also have access to technical support and expertise from private sector partners, including Vulcan Inc., NXP, Autodesk, and Mobileye to help execute the Smart City Plan. Vulcan Inc. will also contribute an additional $10 million to incorporate electric vehicle infrastructure.

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