Ohio Buses Getting Federal Funds for Safety Upgrades

Wadsworth, United States – Six public transit buses in Ohio are set to receive advanced safety technology upgrades thanks to federal funding.

Perrone Robotics Inc. and NEORide, a council of governments representing over 30 U.S. transit agencies, have announced a partnership to retrofit these buses with Perrone’s TONY™ ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) Retrofit Kit. The project is supported by a $1.98 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grant program.

The upgraded 35-foot Gillig buses will be deployed by three NEORide member agencies: Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA), Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA), and Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA). The goal is to bring modern driver-assistance capabilities to both bus operators and passengers in the region.

The TONY™ ADAS Kit integrates sensors with Perrone’s MAX® autonomy software and is designed to work with existing buses. Under this specific program, each retrofitted bus will be equipped with several key safety features:

• Forward Collision Avoidance
• Lane-Keeping Assistance
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Advanced warnings
• A data logging platform (with modules for future features)

This retrofit approach allows transit agencies to gain immediate safety benefits while maximizing the value of their existing fleets, rather than needing to purchase new vehicles.

Paul Perrone, Founder & CEO of Perrone Robotics, stated of the announcement, “TONY allows transit systems to leap from legacy to leading-edge safety in weeks, not years… This SMART Grant proves we can deliver collision avoidance, lane keeping, and more today—without requiring agencies to purchase new fleets.”

Katherine Conrad, Executive Director of NEORide, highlighted the collaborative aspect. “By pooling federal resources, three transit agencies are deploying life-saving ADAS technology at the cost of a retrofit—setting a national standard for modernizing fleets and demonstrating the power of regional collaboration.”

Over the course of the project, Perrone Robotics will integrate and commission the six buses, provide training to agency staff, and deliver performance data to the USDOT evaluators. The initiative is seen as laying the groundwork for potential wider adoption of TONY ADAS retrofits by other NEORide members and transit agencies across the country.

Perrone Robotics is a company focused on autonomous vehicle and ADAS technologies, offering its TONY™ Retrofit Kit and MAX® software to transform various vehicles into what they describe as safer, smarter machines.

NEORide is a regional council of governments established to expand transportation options through cooperation among member agencies, utilizing collective purchasing and federal funding for mobility solutions.

Transit agencies interested in learning more about bringing TONY ADAS functionality to their fleets can find information online or through NEORide.

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