May 12, 2021
Posted in What's Happening

May 12, 2021

Today, 5 Pennsylvania University Transportation Center (UTC) representatives joined together to present the “Get to Know the PA UTCs” workshop during the American Council of Engineering Companies of Pennsylvania Spring Conference.

The workshop began with a general overview of the UTCs.  This included history on the establishment of the UTC program, what UTCs do (research, education and workforce development, technology transfer, collaboration), how to find UTCs, and how to get involved in UTC activities.

Then, each UTC provided an overview of their specific research areas and programs:

• Automated Vehicle Services for People with Disabilities–Involved Responsive Engineering (ASPIRE) Center, University of Pittsburgh – Rory Cooper, Human Engineering Research Laboratory
  • As a new center, Dr. Cooper explained the initial aims are:
    • Aim 1: Systematic Review
    • Aim 2: Understand the needs of Users and Providers
    • Aim 3: Data synthesis, extrapolation, analysis and modeling
    • Aim 4: Impact on Transportation System and Its Users

• Center for Integrated Asset Management for Multi-Modal Transportation Infrastructure Systems, Penn State University – Dr. Eric Donnell, Professor of Civil Engineering, Director of Larson Transportation Institute
  • Reviewed their program vision “Improve integrated asset management through research, education, and outreach activities that will enable transportation agencies to invest infrastructure funds when and where most critically needed” and focus areas:
    • Application of Innovative Materials and Technologies
    • Condition Assessment and Health Monitoring
    • Infrastructure Management and Innovative Financing

• Center for Underground Transportation Infrastructure, Lehigh University – Spencer Quiel, Ph.D., PE, Associate Professor
  • Described that “This is the first and only UTC focused on underground construction. Operating with a mission to be a leader in the development of sustainable, less costly and more durable technologies for underground transportation infrastructures that can be efficiently constructed, operated and maintained, providing solutions for future underground transportation projects.”

• Cooperative Mobility for Competitive Megaregions, University of Pennsylvania – Erick Guerra, Associate Professor
  • Explained “Our center supports research that establishes a legal framework for cooperative megaregion transportation planning; develops analytical framework targeting passenger and freight mobility improvement in megaregions; capitalizes access-enabling spatial strategies; promotes equity for elderly and rural populations in and around the megaregion; creates environmental justice metrics in the megaregion context; improves public participation at the megaregional scale; optimizes multi-modality and inter-modality; and develops a GIS-based planning support system for cooperative mobility in megaregions.”

• Mobility21, Carnegie Mellon University – Lisa Kay Schweyer, TDM-CP, MPM, Program Manager
  • Discussed their partnerships with the University of Pennsylvania, the Ohio State University and Community College of Allegheny, education and workforce efforts/student involvement and the launch of the new executive education session Managing AI in Transportation.

The group encouraged the attendees to learn more about the UTCs and to get involved:

• • Sign-up for Newsletters
  • Propose Research Ideas
  • Attend Webinars/Seminars
  • Share Internship & Job Opportunities
  • Invite UTC researchers to speak at events/conferences

To learn more about the Department of Transportation’s UTC program and locate a UTC near you, click here.

May 19, 2020
Posted in Events

May 5, 2020
Posted in What's Happening

May 5, 2020

Co-authors Chris Hendrickson, Director of Traffic21 and Laurence Rilett, Director of the Nebraska Transportation Center and the Mid-America Transportation Center are both US DOT University Transportation Center funded faculty.  Their article “The Covid-19 Pandemic and Transportation Engineering” will appear in the July edition of the Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems.  You can visit the Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems in July to see the published version.  Or you can click here for a link to the original manuscript.

April 28, 2020
Posted in What's Happening

April 28, 2020

Mobility21 UTC Director Raj Rajkumar has been named to the PAVE Academic Advisory Council, which aims to provide PAVE members with advice and recommendations on matters related to AV technology and its societal effects, as well as collaborating with PAVE members on tasks such as research, evaluation and polling.  PAVE is a coalition of partners dedicated to educating policymakers and the public about automated vehicles and the increased safety, mobility and sustainability they can bring.

April 23, 2020
Posted in What's Happening

April 23, 2020

CMU Professor and UTC Researcher Jon Peha gave a keynote speech at the 2020 IEEE Wireless Telecommunications Symposium today.  His keynote, entitled “Spectrum Policy for Intelligent Transportation Systems,” investigates how much spectrum should be allocated to ITS, whether ITS spectrum not used for safety communications should be shared with unlicensed devices, and if so how much.

April 15, 2020
Posted in What's Happening

April 14, 2020

Today, Lisa Kay Schweyer, Program Manager for Mobility21 UTC participated in the 20/20 CCAT Global Symposium on Connected and Automated Vehicles.  The panel discussions included Mobility Blues, Who Do We Sue?, Cybersecurity, AV Investment and Public Acceptance, Research Panel and Infrastructure.