Projects at K-State Salina, the City of Salina, and the Salina Regional Airport are among a dozen receiving funding the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Innovative Technology Program.
Salina projects receiving funding include:
- K-State Salina – $999,750 for Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft Procurement
- Salina Regional Airport – $933,600 for Smart Airport Command Center & Sustainable Infrastructure Initiative
- City of Salina – $100,747 for a Signal Coordination Project
According to Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s Office, a total of $3.9 million will be awarded to these 12 projects across the state through for FY 2027. The program makes strategic investments that implement new transportation technology while improving safety, access, and mobility.
Projects related to the Kansas transportation system and utilizing new technology are eligible to apply for KDOT’s Innovative Technology funding. Projects selected in this round include smart signal upgrades, onboard security monitoring, pedestrian safety upgrades, emergency vehicle preemption, hands-on drone education and outreach, and more.
Each award recipient is providing a minimum of 25% in matching funds, resulting in a total innovative technology investment of more than $8.1 million. The program is part of the Kelly administration’s bipartisan, 10-year, Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, also known as IKE.
Projects selected through the Innovative Technology program for FY 2027 include:
|
Project Name |
Applicant Organization |
County |
KDOT Award |
|
AI-Driven Onboard Security Monitoring |
Johnson County Transit |
Johnson |
$112,500 |
|
4th-7th “Smart Signals” and Pedestrian Safety Upgrades (Centennial Bridge Readiness) |
City of Leavenworth |
Leavenworth |
$110,250 |
|
Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft Procurement |
Kansas State University – Salina |
Saline |
$999,750 |
|
Split Cycle Offset Optimization Technique (SCOOT) – City of Goddard Kellogg Corridor |
City of Goddard |
Sedgwick |
$180,709 |
|
Cloud County Autonomous Innovative Delivery (CloudAID) |
Cloud County Community College |
Cloud |
$249,928 |
|
Digital Twin Pilot for Intelligent Intersection Management |
The University of Kansas |
Douglas |
$46,775 |
|
Emergency Vehicle Preemption I-70 to KU Med |
Unified Government of Wyandotte County & Kansas City, KS |
Wyandotte |
$158,660 |
|
Flight Forward: Drone Discovery |
Cosmosphere |
Reno |
$74,025 |
|
Liberal Smart Signal Upgrades |
City of Liberal |
Seward |
$140,994 |
|
Rural Healthcare Drone Delivery |
Community Healthcare System of NE Kansas |
Pottawatomie |
$750,000 |
|
SAA Smart Airport Command Center (SACC) & Sustainable Infrastructure Initiative |
Salina Airport Authority |
Saline |
$933,600 |
|
Signal Coordination Project |
City of Salina |
Saline |
$100,747 |
|
|
|
Total: |
$3,857,938 |
