The City of Kansas City is accepting proposals to expand its globally-recognized and award-winning Smart City program. The City has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to establish a public-private partnership focusing on goals such as improving delivery of basic city services, increasing life expectancy through better health, and bridging the digital divide.
Councilman McManus has served on the Smart City Advisory Board for the past three years and will serve on the selection committee. "We already have implemented new technologies to deliver services to our residents more efficiently and transform Kansas City into one of the most connected and cutting-edge communities in the country," Councilman Kevin McManus said. "This RFP will allow us to partner work with industry leaders to expand this effort citywide, so our city continues to use data and technologies to improve the lives of all our residents. I am looking forward to reviewing the proposals."
The city’s RFP is a competitive process open to all interested companies. The City expects to negotiate a long-term contract with the preferred proposer. That contractor would become program manager of the city’s Smart City initiatives, which are overseen by the Office of Innovation.
The first phase of the Smart City expansion will focus on building Smart City infrastructure on the Prospect Avenue corridor, alongside the planned Prospect MAX bus line upgrade. Smart City amenities will expand citywide in the following years, with the selected proposer investing millions of dollars to fund the expansion.
“We are building a 21st century city for our 21st century residents,” said Bob Bennett, Chief Innovation Officer. “Our Smart City projects will allow corporate partners to field-test emerging technology and concepts in a public service space.”
The Smart City program launched two years ago. Smart City successes to date include:
- Creation of the Cisco Networking Academy at Manual Tech High School. Graduates receive a certificate in networking that qualifies them for high-paying tech jobs.
- Creation of the “Pothole Predictor”, which is in the testing phase, designed to save taxpayer money and better maintain roads.
- Dynamic traffic signal timing has shortened travel time on Main Street through downtown.
- A partnership with Avis that created the nation’s largest test of connected vehicles in Kansas City right now.
