Texas Department of Transportation: ConnectSmart Mobility Platform and App

Texas DOT is making it easier for commuters to get around one of the nation’s busiest cities through a new innovative technology.

Houston, the nation’s fifth most populous metro area and top growing economy, faces a near-constant strain on transportation and mobility. Commuters waste an average of 91 hours a year sitting in traffic and, despite deploying traditional demand management strategies, the region’s 80 percent “drive-alone” form or transport remains constant – ensuring traffic congestion levels continue to rise. Recognizing the need for a new approach, Texas DOT’s Houston division successfully applied for a USDOT Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment grant to develop and deploy the $18 million ConnectSmart (CS) platform and app, becoming the first in the nation to weave together a demand and supply management congestion framework.

CS is reshaping how travelers get around the Houston region, making it easier and more efficient. CS also relies on a digital platform for multimodal trip planning, ticketing, and payment – a platform that also acts as a data exchange bridge between the transportation system and travelers. CS offers travelers predictive and reliable trip information, increased accessibility to current and emerging mobility options, and enables more sustainable mobility decisions.