2026 Build a Better Mousetrap Winners
WEBINAR: December 9, 2026, 11:00AM - 12:00PM PT
The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Center for Local Aid Support (CLAS) presents this month's Innovation Exchange Webinar to showcase the 2026 Build a Better Mousetrap (BABM) Innovative Project & Putting Families First Innovation Award Winners.
Each year, FHWA recognizes and celebrates local government and tribal agencies who pioneer innovative solutions that improve transportation performance by increasing safety and saving time and money on projects.
2026 BABM Winners:
- Innovative Project Award: “AI-Powered Street Right-of-Way Asset Inventory”
City of Santa Maria, CA
The City of Santa Maria automated the inventory and assessment of its transportation assets by combining mobile mapping technology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to support long-term capital planning.
- Putting Families First Innovation Award: “Downtown Revival Abbeville Street Improvement Project”
City of Abbeville, LA
The City of Abbeville created a safer community-centered downtown environment. downtown environment through extensive public engagement and multimodal transportation planning.
Join FHWA to learn how these innovative solutions are transforming the industry, and find out how you can participate in the 2027 BABM program.
The BABM Initiative
The Build a Better Mousetrap (BABM) national recognition program highlights locally relevant, innovative solutions and provides a platform to share innovations to everyday challenges that local and tribal transportation professionals encounter on local roads.
These local road solutions range from the development of new project delivery or design processes to the invention of new tools, equipment, or modifications that increase efficiency, enhance safety, reduce cost, and/or improve the quality of transportation on local roads.
