Kansas announces $3.9M for AI, drone and smart transportation projects
Kansas will spend nearly $3.9 million on emerging transportation technologies, with projects spanning artificial intelligence, drones and smart infrastructure, aimed at improving safety and mobility statewide.
Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday announced the funding, through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Innovative Technology Program for fiscal year 2027. The project is part of the state’s 10-year Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, a nearly $10-billion effort aimed at improving the state’s transportation infrastructure.
The initiative will support 12 projects designed to modernize transportation systems while expanding access, particularly in rural communities.
“With projects ranging from bolstering rural health care services to improving safety at intersections — we are making smart, targeted investments to improve quality of life for Kansans across the state,” Kelly said in a press release. “This crucial funding will expand the ways Kansans use and benefit from modern, essential transportation technology.”
According to the announcement, projects will include AI-driven onboard security monitoring for Johnson County Transit, smart signal and pedestrian safety upgrades in Leavenworth, and nearly $1 million for advanced air mobility aircraft at Kansas State University–Salina. Other efforts focus on intelligent intersection management, emergency vehicle preemption along the I-70 highway corridor and a drone delivery system for rural health care in northeast Kansas.
The program requires at least a 25% local funding match, bringing the total spending to more than $8.1 million. According to Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed, that local commitment reflects strong community support for deploying new technologies.
