The ConnectSmart Story

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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. 

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.

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Thanks to our collaboration with Movability, Central Texas’s transportation management association (TMA), ConnectSmart is rolling out in Austin. We’re giving Austin commuters new ways to earn rewards just by carpooling in our app and logging it in theirs. 

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The goal? Help Central Texans rediscover the benefits of smarter commuting. By making carpooling easier and more rewarding, we’re aiming to reduce traffic, build community, and support a more sustainable future for the greater Austin area.