The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration has awarded more than $2 million in grants to four University Transportation Centers located throughout the United States to advance research and education programs that address critical transportation challenges facing our nation. UTCs conduct research that directly support DOT priorities.
“Education and research are the cornerstones of a 21st century transportation system,” says RITA Administrator Peter H. Appel. “It is absolutely crucial that we continue to make investments that provide a solid foundation for innovation and expertise in transportation.”
Based at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, the University Transportation Center for Alabama was awarded $650,000 to support research in a variety of transportation challenges ranging from traffic congestion to driver distraction.
The Transportation Research Center at University of Nevada in Las Vegas will use a $457,000 grant to conduct basic and applied research in various transportation-related areas, including developing mathematical and software based decision making tools for transportation planning and policy analysis.
The University of Rhode Island Transportation Center will receive $463,400 to support its research program that targets basic, advanced and applied projects. To maximize the impact of this funding, URITC also will create partnerships with organizations that share a transportation sector interest.
Based at Northwestern University, the Center for the Commercialization of Innovative Transportation Technology will use a $463,400 grant to fund “innovation gap” research projects that push existing research outcomes closer to the point of adoption and implementation by transportation practitioners.
