The massachusetts BAY transportation authority (mbta) is requesting $2155020 from the FTA under the U.S. DOT safe streets for all program with $538755 in local match

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) received a $2.69 million project grant from the Federal Transit Administration under the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program (CFDA 20.939) on September 19, 2025. The award, which includes $2.16 million in federal funding and $538,755 in local match, will support the retrofit of 160 buses with Mobileye Shield+ collision avoidance technology. This advanced safety system will equip bus operators with real-time warnings and enhanced roadway visibility to help prevent traffic incidents involving other vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

The project will generate critical safety data and analytics to support evidence-based planning and infrastructure improvements across the Boston metropolitan region. The data collected—including real-time hotspot mapping, fleet driver performance analysis, and avoided incident assessments—will inform updates to the City of Boston's 2023 Vision Zero Action Plan and support the Metropolitan Planning Organization's regional safety initiatives. By providing actionable insights on accident hotspots and congested areas, this technology deployment will strengthen the MBTA's bus network safety and contribute to the broader regional goal of eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries. The project is scheduled for completion by September 30, 2028.

Activities

The project will retrofit 160 buses with mobileye shield+ collision avoidance technology.

Expected outcomes

Operators share the roads with other drivers bicyclists and pedestrians who all depend on one another to remain safe. This work will support the reduction of roadway fatalities and serious injuries by increasing roadway visibility for bus operators providing them with warnings ahead of potential incidents. Mobileye shield+ will provide the mbta with critical data that would otherwise be inaccessible such as real-time hot spot mapping and analysis of fleet driver performance. This data will allow evidence-based analysis of safety incidents which will in turn support current and future mbta bus projects and updates to the city of bostons action plan thereby increasing the safety of the bus network.

Intended beneficiaries

Bus operators drivers bicyclists and pedestrians