The Department of Transportation is issuing a challenge…

To show what is possible when communities use technology to connect transportation assets into an interactive network, the Smart City Challenge will concentrate federal resources into one medium-sized city, selected through a nationwide competition. Funding of up to $40 million in funding will go to one mid-sized city that puts forward bold, data-driven ideas to improve lives by making transportation safer, easier, and more reliable.

Here are some of the guidelines…

Some attributes of the ideal Smart City Challenge candidate:

• Mid-sized city with a population between approximately 200,000 and 850,000 people within city limits as of the 2010 Census;

• A population density typical of a mid-sized city using 2010 Census data;

• Represents a significant portion (more than 15%) of the overall population of its urban area using 2010 Census data;

• An established public transportation system;

• An environment that is conducive to demonstrating proposed strategies; and

• Leadership and capacity to carry out the demonstration throughout the period of performance.