CHATTANOOGA, TN – STV today announced it served as lead advisor on a successful grant application that helped Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) secure a $25 million U.S. Department of Transportation BUILD Grant to launch one of the Southeast’s most ambitious autonomous mobility initiatives. The award is the largest grant in CARTA’s history and will support deployment of autonomous shuttle services throughout downtown Chattanooga, accelerating the city’s vision for a safer, more connected and accessible transportation network.
Working alongside CARTA, the City of Chattanooga and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, STV developed the grant strategy for the Chattanooga Operations for Mobility Protection, Access, Safety & Service (COMPASS) initiative, aligning transportation, economic development and mobility objectives into a single federal funding application.
“Winning the largest competitive grant in CARTA’s history gives Chattanooga an extraordinary opportunity to do much more than put autonomous shuttles on our streets,” said Charles D. Frazier, CEO of CARTA. “We’re building a platform where transit, technology, education and workforce development come together. Through our Live Learning Lab, students and workers will have the opportunity to learn alongside the technology as it is deployed, creating a pipeline to the mobility jobs of the future right here in Chattanooga. STV understood that larger vision and helped us translate it into a compelling case for federal investment.”
The COMPASS initiative will explore how autonomous shuttle services can complement existing transit operations, expand transportation options and improve connectivity across Chattanooga’s downtown core. The program is expected to generate valuable insight into the safe and effective deployment of autonomous transportation systems in urban environments while supporting broader economic development and mobility objectives.
“This investment bridges two areas of historic strength for Chattanooga – technology and transportation innovation – and creates an opportunity for the community to create a new model for the Southeast,” said Patricia Macchi, vice president and national director of infrastructure economics and grants advisory at STV. “This investment gives Chattanooga an opportunity to demonstrate how emerging transportation technologies can expand access, strengthen connectivity and create a safer mobility experience for residents and visitors alike.”
Supported by proprietary tools such as G.R.A.N.T.S.®, STV’s Infrastructure Economics & Grants Advisory team helps clients navigate complex funding programs through grant strategy, benefit-cost analysis, economic impact modeling and funding advisory services. The firm’s portfolio includes funding and economic advisory support for the Gateway Program Hudson River Tunnel, the MBTA’s $472 million MPDG MEGA Grant award and grant strategy services for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s major capital improvement initiatives.
