The Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) in Riverside, CA, will benefit from a $1.2 million federal Department of Energy grant to the University of California, Riverside (UCR), to retrofit paratransit vehicles with technology to reduce fuel consumption and enhance service delivery.

The technology, to be installed by UCR researchers this fall, will monitor real-time driver behavior, vehicle performance, and fuel consumption. By analyzing schedules and roadway and traffic conditions, the system has the potential to make the route more efficient. It notifies drivers of excessive idling, speeding, or accelerating, and uses a scoring system to reveal which vehicles, drivers, and routes are the most efficient.

“RTA has been at the forefront of clean-fuels technology for more than a decade, and this latest step reflects our pledge to continually push the limits of service efficiency,” said RTA Chairman Bob Buster.

The grant is part of a $175 million plan over the next three to five years to support development of advanced vehicle technologies. The funding, which will affect 40 projects across 15 states, is designed to help automakers achieve new fuel efficiency standards.