Making the Houston Region
Less Congested and More Connected

Not just a slogan, but a real philosophy inspired the creation of ConnectSmart. It goes all the way back to 2016 when a group of TxDOT Houston District leaders and engineers gathered together to brainstorm about how to make the Houston region an even better place to live and work.

Even then, this group of leaders knew Houston could not solely build itself out of traffic congestion. They knew there would be other ways to make our transportation systems better.  Building highways, including intelligent highways — technology — could not by themselves 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, reduce traffic and the resulting harmful exhaust emissions associated with congestion. 

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After months visualizing the solution, the leaders developed a proposal submitted to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Advance 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 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, BCycle, 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. ConnectSmart is making the Houston region less congested and more connected -- and an even better place to live and work.