Talking Transit Through COVID-19 & Beyond
April 7, 2020
Posted in What's Happening
April 7, 2020
Today, METRO Magazine hosted “Talking transit through COVID-19 & beyond” webinar. Katherine Kelleman, CEO of Pittsburgh’s Port Authority of Allegheny County and Mobility21 UTC Advisory Council member spoke as part of the panel to “…discuss what the future may look like once the country gets the situation under control and it is safe to work, live, and play again.” Mobility21 UTC Program Manager, Lisa Kay Schweyer also attended this session to learn more about how transit operators are responding and potential research opportunities. Learn more about this webinar here.
Traffic21 Hosts Discussion with Lorraine M. Martin, President and CEO, The National Safety Council
March 13, 2020
Posted in What's Happening
March 12, 2020
Traffic21 hosted a roundtable discussion with Lorraine M. Martin, President and CEO, The National Safety Council. Traffic21 faculty and deployment partners joined in a discussion of transportation safety issues in the workplace and potential research collaboration. NSC recently launched A Road to Zero: A vision for achieving zero roadway deaths by 2050, a research report completed with a variety of non-profit and private sector partners.
Research Recap: Contact Sensing for Improved Inspection of Transportation Infrastructure
January 16, 2020
Posted in What's Happening
Today, Mobility21 UTC released its latest “Research Recap.” The recaps are one-page overviews of the UTC funded research that describe the research project’s purpose, approach, key findings, conclusions, contact information for the research team and a link to the final research report. Check out the one page recap to learn more about this project.
Mobility21 National UTC Advisory Council Members Share Their Expertise
November 7, 2019
Posted in What's Happening
November 7, 2019
A talented group of national leaders attended the Carnegie Mellon University Traffic21 Institute and Mobility21 National University Transportation Center (UTC) Advisory Council meeting, held on CMU’s campus today.
Mobility21 UTC Director, Raj Rajkumar and Traffic21 Director, Chris Hendrickson welcomed the group, and provided an overview of update of activities and plans at the centers. The day continued with a discussion on technology transfer and plans for the upcoming National UTC Mobility Summit scheduled to be held in Washington, DC on April 2, 2020.
Throughout the meeting Advisory Council members shared their expertise and ideas on workforce demand, technology trends, research needs, and new funding opportunities to advance the missions of Traffic21 and Mobility21.
# # #
The Mobility21 team is a tight collaboration among Carnegie Mellon University (Lead), the University of Pennsylvania, the Ohio State University and the Community College of Allegheny County, and brings to bear the reach and scale of all four institutions.
Tackling the multi-faceted nature of Traffic21 and Mobility21 objectives requires coordinated research, education, workforce development and technology transfer. This work is supported by researchers spanning multiple disciplines such as engineering, computer science and robotics, public policy, urban design, information systems and data analytics.
The distinguished Advisory Council of national leaders provides strategic guidance and counsel. Advisory Council members include:
- Raymond T. Betler, former President and CEO of Wabtec Corporation
- Rebecca M. Brewster, President and Chief Operating Officer of the American Transportation Research Institute
- Robin Chase, Co-founder Zipcar, Veniam, NUMo
- Ty Gourley, Vice President of the Hillman Family Foundations
- Charles L. Hammel III, President and owner, PITT OHIO Express
- Ashley Hand, Co-founder CityFi; formerly Transportation Technology Strategist Fellow for Los Angeles
- Katharine Kelleman, Chief Executive Officer at Port Authority of Allegheny County
- Jane Lappin, Director, Public Policy & Government Affairs, Toyota Research Institute
- Ken McLeod, Policy Director at The League of American Bicyclist
- James A. Misener, Senior Director, Technical Standards at Qualcomm
- Leslie Richards, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
- David Roger, President of the Hillman Family Foundations
- Paul Skoutelas, President and Chief Executive Officer of The American Public Transportation Association
- Kirk Steudle, Senior Vice President of the Econolite Transportation Systems Group and subsidiary CAVita, and former Director of Michigan Department of Transportation
Learn more about the Advisory Council members here.
The next in person meeting of the Advisory Council will be in November 2020.
Research, Development and Deployment In Action: Mobility21 Deployment Partner Consortium Symposium Provides Opportunities for Engagement
November 9, 2018
Posted in What's Happening
On Friday, November 9, 2018, over 100 attendees participated in the annual Symposium of the Traffic21 /Mobility21 Deployment Partner Consortium. Participants included consortium members from the public and private sectors along with faculty and students. The symposium is sponsored by the Carnegie Mellon University Traffic21 Institute and Mobility21 National University Transportation Center and held on CMU’s campus.
The group was welcomed by Ramayya Krishnan, Dean, Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. He thanked everyone for their involvement and critical role in providing the “real life” connection to the research. Then Chris Hendrickson, Director, Traffic21 Institute and Raj Rajkumar, Director, Mobility21 National University Transportation Center provided an overview of both Traffic21 and Mobility21 activity and plans.
The day included three panels focused on industry, government, and community along with lots of audience participation. Each panel featured thought leaders who shared their perspective on how new transportation technology is impacting industry and communities and and how research or education might address these real-world needs.
The first panel focused on industry, with panelists discussing “Emerging Technology Trends.”
- Rebecca Brewster, President and Chief Operating Officer of the American Transportation Research Institute
- Raymond Betler, President and CEO of Wabtec Corporation
- Robert Grant, Head of Government Relations, Aurora
- Jim Misener, Senior Director of Technical Standards at Qualcomm
The second panel of the day was the Government Panel which focused on “New Technology Policy Challenges.”
- Roger Cohen, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
- Johanna Jochum, Attorney, Mobility, Transport & Safety Practice Group of Babst Calland
- Karina Ricks, Director, City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure
- Paul Skoutelas, President and Chief Executive Officer of The American Public Transportation Association
The last panel highlighted community issues and the “Societal Impacts of Disruptive Technology.”
- JaLissa D. Coffee, Director of Operations, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials
- Ashley Hand, Co-founder, CityFi
- Ken McLeod, Policy Director, The League of American Bicyclists
- Chris Sandvig, Policy Director, Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group
The keynote speaker for the event was Leslie Richards, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Secretary Richards shared her thoughts on the future of transportation in the commonwealth, the new autonomous vehicle testing policy, and the challenges of keeping up with all the changes. She also spent time answering questions from the symposium attendees.
The day concluded with a research poster session and networking reception. Over 16 research projects were featured during the event. Researchers were able to share information about their projects, exchange ideas with attendees, and even forge some new partnerships.
Putting our research, development and deployment approach into action – the symposium provided an opportunity for interaction and discussion among researchers, students and deployment partners. Conversations were held not only during the formal program, panels and poster sessions, but during breaks and over lunch.
The Mobility21 team is a tight collaboration among Carnegie Mellon University (Lead), the University of Pennsylvania, the Ohio State University and the Community College of Allegheny County, and brings to bear the reach and scale of all four institutions.
Tackling the multi-faceted nature of Mobility21 objectives requires coordinated research, education, workforce development and technology transfer. This work is supported by researchers spanning multiple disciplines such as engineering, computer science and robotics, public policy, urban design, information systems and data analytics.
Deployment Partner Consortium members represent public agencies, non-profit organizations, private sector companies, and other research institutions who actively support Traffic21 and Mobility21 research.
Learn more about the Deployment Partner Consortium by clicking here.
Engaging the Experts: Mobility21 National UTC Advisory Council Weighs In
November 8, 2018
Posted in What's Happening
On Thursday, November 8, 2018, a talented group of national leaders attended the Carnegie Mellon University Traffic21 Institute and Mobility21 National University Transportation Center (UTC) Advisory Council meeting, held on CMU’s campus.
The group was welcomed by CMU Interim Provost, Laurie R. Weingart. She shared her thoughts on the role of education, research, innovation and technology transfer happening at university. She also talked about the importance of the advisory council and thanked the council for their role in the work being done through Traffic21 and the Mobility21 UTC.
Mobility21 UTC Director, Raj Rajkumar and Traffic21 Director, Chris Hendrickson then provided an overview of update of activities and plans at the centers. The day continued with Traffic21 and Mobility21 Executive Director, Stan Caldwell leading a discussion on technology transfer and plans for the upcoming National UTC Mobility Summit scheduled to be held in Washington, DC on April 11, 2019. Advisory Council members shared their expertise and ideas on workforce demand, technology trends, research needs, and new funding opportunities to advance the missions of Traffic21 and Mobility21.
One of the members reflected on the experience and reported the meeting was a “Great opportunity to meet with CMU leaders and Advisory Council members with whom I don’t normally interact with in the transportation industry.”
# # #
The Mobility21 team is a tight collaboration among Carnegie Mellon University (Lead), the University of Pennsylvania, the Ohio State University and the Community College of Allegheny County, and brings to bear the reach and scale of all four institutions.
Tackling the multi-faceted nature of Traffic21 and Mobility21 objectives requires coordinated research, education, workforce development and technology transfer. This work is supported by researchers spanning multiple disciplines such as engineering, computer science and robotics, public policy, urban design, information systems and data analytics.
The distinguished Advisory Council of national leaders provides strategic guidance and counsel. Advisory Council members include:
- Raymond T. Betler, President and CEO of Wabtec Corporation
- Rebecca M. Brewster, President and Chief Operating Officer of the American Transportation Research Institute
- Robin Chase, Co-founder Zipcar, Veniam, NUMo
- Ty Gourley, Vice President of the Hillman Family Foundations
- Charles L. Hammel III, President and owner, PITT OHIO Express
- Ashley Hand, Co-founder CityFi; formerly Transportation Technology Strategist Fellow for Los Angeles
- Katharine Kelleman, Chief Executive Officer at Port Authority of Allegheny County
- Jane Lappin, Director, Public Policy & Government Affairs, Toyota Research Institute
- Ken McLeod, Policy Director at The League of American Bicyclist
- James A. Misener, Senior Director, Technical Standards at Qualcomm
- Leslie Richards, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
- David Roger, President of the Hillman Family Foundations
- Paul Skoutelas, President and Chief Executive Officer of The American Public Transportation Association
- Kirk Steudle, Director of Michigan Department of Transportation
Learn more about the Advisory Council members here.
The next in person meeting of the Advisory Council will be in November 2019.
UTC Faculty Present their Research to the City of Pittsburgh
August 23, 2018
Posted in What's Happening
August 23, 2018
UTC Researchers Christoph Mertz and Sean Qian presented their research to the City of Pittsburgh today, including Mayor Bill Peduto and Director of Mobility and Infrastructure, Karina Ricks. The meeting was to discuss potential collaboration for improving paving and asphalt efforts in the city.