Making Texas Less Congested and More Connected. Carpool Now Available in Austin.

Not just a slogan, but a real philosophy inspired the creation of ConnectSmart. It dates back to 2016, when a group of TxDOT leaders and engineers gathered to brainstorm ways to make large Texas cities even better places to live and work.

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Even then, this group of leaders knew there were other ways to reduce congestion and make our transportation systems better. Building highways, including intelligent highways — technology — could not alone solve the problem. It would take the human element — the connection within communities — to drive the solution. 

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The idea behind ConnectSmart is to help commuters enjoy a more convenient commute, explore more mobility options, rely less on single-occupancy vehicles, improve safety, and reduce traffic and the resulting harmful exhaust emissions associated with congestion. 

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After months of visualizing the solution, a proposal was submitted to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technology Deployment (ATCMTD) program. The proposal was competitively selected by FHWA. In 2019, Metropia, a Houston-based technology solution firm with a team of national firms, won the local procurement to lead the technology development and operations for the first deployment of Houston ConnectSmart.  

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The development of the Houston ConnectSmart app is the result of a partnership between the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC), City of Houston, Houston METRO, Houston TranStar, Tow and Go, Conroe Connection, Fort Bend Transit, and Harris County Transit. 

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Serving as a springboard to the future, ConnectSmart links communities and provides multiple mobility options besides driving alone. Today, ConnectSmart is making the Houston region less congested and more connected -- and an even better place to live and work.