US Ignite and Spectrum Award Grant to the State of Ohio to Advance Smart Transportation Initiatives

LIMA, Ohio, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today US Ignite, a nonprofit organization that helps communities accelerate smart city initiatives, and Spectrum announced that they have awarded a multi-year grant and resources to the State of Ohio for designing and implementing smart transportation initiatives. The first project underway is in Lima, where smart technology solutions are being explored to improve traffic and safety at numerous railroad crossings throughout the city.

Spectrum and US Ignite also are partnering with DriveOhio, the state's center for smart mobility, and InnovateOhio, a state organization that is focused on using technology to improve people's lives and transform services.

"The primary goal Governor DeWine and I envisioned when creating InnovateOhio was to use technology to improve the way Ohioans live their lives," said Lt. Governor Jon Husted, Director of InnovateOhio. "This is a great example of a private-public partnership where technology is being used to create a better transportation system. We will continue to seek new ways to use technology to improve the quality of life for Ohioans, and we look forward to collaborating with DriveOhio on this smart transportation initiative in Lima and beyond."

Lima, and any future cities chosen for smart transportation projects through the collaboration, will receive tailored guidance and tools to help harness smart technologies to solve local challenges and make their cities better places to live, work and play. A specialized Spectrum Smart Cities team will help ensure that city officials are effectively leveraging Spectrum's high-speed network infrastructure, wireless capabilities, technical expertise and smart city partner ecosystem for technology deployments and data analysis.

"As an experienced and innovative network and technology partner, Spectrum is teaming with leading organizations to help the State of Ohio and the City of Lima to design smart city solutions for the betterment of citizens," said Satya Parimi, Group Vice President, Enterprise Data Products and Spectrum Smart Cities, Spectrum Enterprise. "As a trusted advisor, we look forward to developing a proof of concept that uses sensors, devices, analytics and software to help make Lima's railroad crossings safer and local roads and routes more efficient for residents and visitors."

In Lima, this grant and resources will be used to develop efficient ways to advise drivers about train schedules and wait times at railroad crossings, while also providing alternative route suggestions to save time. For a city with approximately 40 railroad crossings, this is a significant undertaking.

"For the past four years, we have been making a shift in how we deliver services to citizens by leveraging technology to make data driven decisions," said Lima Mayor David J. Berger. "This collaboration comes at the right time, and our city is thrilled and grateful to be selected as the first city in the state of Ohio to roll out this initiative. The freight railroad system is a significant part of our city's economy and infrastructure, but we know that the sheer number of crossings causes real inconveniences and impacts everyday travel for thousands of residents and visitors. We're excited to have this collaboration and resources available to us to help advance smart transportation strategies that will deliver safer and more efficient travel for everyone in the community."

Spectrum will provide all network connectivity and leverage its smart city partner and vendor relationships to develop a proof of concept that uses smart devices (e.g., sensors), collects data and delivers insights to enable greater situational awareness for city drivers and provide real-time navigation assistance.

"We're delighted to be working with InnovateOhio, DriveOhio and Lima as part of our Smart Gigabit Communities program," said William Wallace, Chairman of US Ignite. "It's a robust partner ecosystem that makes it possible to address a city's challenges, and we're pleased to help convene and foster these strong public-private collaborations. Smart city solutions not only require a breadth of solutions working together, but also a breadth of partners." 

About DriveOhio
Ohio is home to dozens of public and private entities all involved in the design, development, testing, use and regulation of autonomous and connected technologies. DriveOhio, the state's new center for smart mobility, brings all of these organizations together under one umbrella, serving as the hub for all things autonomous and connected in Ohio. Supported by the Ohio Department of Transportation, DriveOhio works to ensure Ohio's regulatory environment and public policies are conducive to the development of the infrastructure and technologies needed for smart mobility.

About InnovateOhio
Technology is changing everything about the way we live, the way we learn, and the way we work. If we successfully adapt to that change, we can propel a new generation of prosperity. Under the leadership of Lt. Governor Jon Husted, InnovateOhio is advancing the DeWine Administration's commitment to leading an aggressive, innovative path towards a better and stronger Ohio.

About Spectrum
Spectrum is a suite of advanced broadband services offered by Charter Communications, Inc., a leading broadband connectivity company and cable operator serving more than 30 million customers in 41 states. Over an advanced communications network, the company offers a full range of state-of-the-art residential and business services including Spectrum Internet^®, TV, Mobile and Voice.

For small and medium-sized companies, Spectrum Business^® delivers the same suite of broadband products and services coupled with special features and applications to enhance productivity, while for larger businesses and government entities, Spectrum Enterprise provides highly customized, fiber-based solutions. Spectrum Reach^® delivers tailored advertising and production for the modern media landscape. The company also distributes award-winning news coverage, sports and high-quality original programming to its customers through Spectrum Networks and Spectrum Originals.

Spectrum Smart Cities partners with municipalities to deliver innovative IoT solutions that help solve real world issues in their communities. More information about Spectrum Smart Cities can be found at www.spectrumsmartcities.

About US Ignite
US Ignite is a high-tech nonprofit with a mission to accelerate the smart community movement. It works to guide communities into the connected future, create a path for private sector growth, and advance technology research that's at the heart of smarter development. For more information, visit www.us-ignite.org

Additional supporting quotes:

"Technology continues to drive transportation systems around the country and here at home," said Senate President Matt Huffman. "I'm pleased my hometown of Lima was named as the next US Ignite Smart Gigabit Community. I look forward to watching how the grant and partnership will improve traffic and railroad safety for our community."

"I commend US Ignite and Spectrum for choosing the City of Lima as the next US Ignite Smart Gigabit Community," said Ohio House Speaker Bob Cupp. "This investment in the Lima community brings smart city technology here in a way that will have a direct, positive impact not only on residents but potentially anyone who drives in or through the city."

"Local businesses have identified stationary trains at rail crossings as a real problem in the city," said Jed Metzger, President & CEO, Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce. "This collaboration among the private and public sectors will improve unwanted delays as trains slow down or stop which ultimately blocks rail crossings. This opportunity to utilize Spectrum's significant fiber infrastructure already in place in Lima will benefit our local businesses and manufacturers. These exciting new smart city technologies will help drivers make better decisions and improve the overall safety at many rail crossings in Lima."

"We continually strive for economic and business growth in Allen County," said Dave Stratton, President & CEO, Allen County Economic Development Group. "With the significant rail traffic that comes as a result of our strong manufacturing industry in the region, we know that there are many challenging rail crossings throughout Lima not only for commercial traffic, but also for emergency and residential vehicles. We anxiously expect that this project will provide innovative smart technology solutions that will help address some of those challenges. We are supportive of this partnership and the investment in our community."

SOURCE Spectrum