A South Florida university is on a path to help improve the country’s transportation systems, thanks to a boost from the federal government.
Florida Atlantic University will get $8.5 million over the next five years from the U.S. Department of Transportation to fund research on how to move freight more efficiently and make roads safer.
“That’s really important at a time when Florida is one of the most dangerous states in the country for highway safety and highway fatalities,” said U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, who backed the FAU proposal. “These are the kind of issues that people in South Florida worry about on a daily basis.”
FAU was one of 20 universities selected for federal transportation research funding.
The bulk of the money – $7 million – will fund a new Freight Mobility Research Institute at FAU’s Boca Raton campus. The remaining $1.5 million will go toward traffic safety research — including improving driverless car safety.