Accelerating Innovative Mobility

Accelerating Innovative Mobility (AIM) highlights FTA’s commitment to support and advance innovation in the transit industry. AIM will drive innovation by promoting forward-thinking approaches to improve financing, system design and service.

What's New

On August 27, 2020, FTA announced 25 projects in 24 states and one territory will receive a share of approximately $14 million in funding through the AIM initiative to support mobility and innovation in the transit industry. View the project selections.

Funding

On March 18, 2020, FTA announced an $11 million Notice of Funding Opportunity under the AIM Initiative to support and advance innovation in the transit industry. AIM challenge grants will help transit agencies explore new service models that provide more efficient and frequent service, which will help retain riders. As a funding partner, FTA will help alleviate the potential risks involved in adopting new technologies and practices.

FTA held a webinar to provide additional information on AIM Challenge Grants, on Thursday, April 2, 2020.

In addition, FTA’s Fiscal Year 2020 competitive grant programs, which total $615 million, will highlight innovation as part of their selection criteria. This will provide applicants with an opportunity to showcase how they can incorporate new approaches to improve the rider experience.

Technical Assistance and Knowledge Sharing

The AIM initiative will establish a national network of innovative transit agencies that will test solutions and share project results with their peers. They will work closely with and use FTA’s technical assistance centers to promote the adoption of promising innovations in communities around the country.

FTA’s Technical Assistance Centers will provide targeted technical assistance to support the successful implementation of innovative models and solutions, both under AIM and otherwise. Additionally, they will be a central resource for all public transportation providers to learn from the experiences of others, and share challenges and solutions that deploy successful innovative models and develop case studies and hands-on resources. The centers will hold workshops focused on bringing together transit agencies to discuss best practices, identify barriers, and advance the adoption of new technologies and practices while ensuring safety for riders.