KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Kansas City has applied for a federal grant to help mid-sized cities test transportation innovations.
The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/20wfayE) reports that the city submitted its application Thursday for the U.S. Department of Transportation's "Beyond Traffic, Smart City Challenge" grant.
The federal department will allocate $40 million to one city, which also will be eligible for $10 million from Vulcan Philanthropy to support the development of electric vehicles and other low-carbon strategies.
Bob Bennett, Kansas City's new chief innovation officer, says the city is well positioned for the grant, citing its new downtown streetcar route and "Smart City" infrastructure such as kiosks, cameras and sensors to help with traffic flow and other government services.
The grant's top five finalist cities are set to be announced in mid-March.